Social networking sites are websites ###### people can create personal profiles, ###### messages to family and friends, ###### share photos, videos, articles and ######. Three of the most popular ###### networking sites are Facebook, Instagram ###### Twitter.

These sites have experienced ###### very fast rise in popularity. ###### of July 2015, more than ###### of U.S. adults who used ###### Internet also used social networking ######.]]>
People who like ###### media say it is a ###### way keep in touch with ###### and friends. They say the ###### are informative and help people ###### information quickly.

Those who don't ###### social networking say it keeps ###### from talking to each other ###### person. They argue that it ###### easy to spread incorrect information ###### social media. They also worry ###### media makes kids behave badly ###### could lead them to harm.]]>
From SixDegrees To Instagram The first social networking site ###### SixDegrees.com. It existed from 1997-2001. ###### social networking websites soon followed. ###### was started in 2003, and ###### was started in 2004.

Facebook ###### became the most popular social ###### website. By late 2012, 1 ###### of every 7 people in ###### world used Facebook.]]>
Facebook began as ###### site for college students. After ###### years it opened up to ######. In 2014, the largest percentage ###### Facebook users were between 15 ###### 34 years old.]]>
Social networking sites make ###### money by selling ads. In ######, they are expected to make ###### $33 billion dollars on ad ###### in 2016. This amount is ###### to get even bigger in ######.

World Leaders Use Social Media, Too

Social networking has become an ###### part of politics. Many world ###### use it to spread their ######.]]>
The first ###### presidential nominees relied on social ###### was in the 2008 race ###### Barack Obama and John McCain. ###### than one out of every ###### U.S. voters under 30 said ###### learned about the 2008 election ###### social media.

In 2009, the ###### House announced it was joining ######, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Flickr. ###### said joining these sites would ###### make the government more effective, ###### and creative.]]>
Social Media Organizes Protesters

Social networking ###### have also been used by ###### involved in large and widespread ######. In 2010, people in the ###### country of Tunisia started protesting ###### government. This led to a ###### of protests known as the ###### Spring.]]>
Social media was an ###### tool for the protesters. They ###### it to share information quickly. ###### even threatened to shut down ###### sites. Hillary Clinton was the @.@. Secretary of State at that ######.]]>
Social Media Dangers

Companies are ###### a hard time managing their ######' use of social networking. Some ###### need to use social media ###### do their jobs. Others are ###### wasting time.

In 2012, 7 ###### households that use Facebook reported ######. These problems had to do ###### safety and privacy.]]>
Wasting Time?

The ###### can also be distracting to ######. In 2015, a study was ######. It showed that students in ###### first year of college were ###### two hours a day on ######.]]>
Social media is widespread today. ###### social networks are growing, and ###### websites are created each year. ###### are all available 24 hours ###### day.

Supporters of social media ###### on the benefits to society ###### these networks may bring. On ###### other side, opponents worry that ###### dangers and wasted time cancel ###### any benefits.
]]>