Our actions, the way we speak, how we write, the language we use to communicate and even the relationships we have with others have been influenced by social media sites. Along with social media sites comes new terminology and the use of words with new meanings almost like a foreign language that must be learned. Joseph Kahn, in the article "What Does 'Friend' Mean Now?" shows how the word “friend” has taken on a new meaning thanks to social media. The use of this language and these sites is a bad thing that has many negative effects on American culture. Many Americans have become addicted to social media and are at risk of invasion of privacy, identity theft, defamation, stalking, isolation, lack of socialization and adverse health effects. Furthermore, Americans are replacing the virtual world with the real one and do not appreciate what this world has to offer. American traditions are in danger if individuals remain glued to electronic devices and addicted to social media sites. Furthermore, continued use of this language can cause an increase in grammatical errors and a more discontinuous use of the English language in our daily lives. This trend will continue into the future if Americans do not change their current behaviors. Only when people become more selective in their posts on these networks and limit the amount of time they spend on social media sites will there be hope of reducing these negative effects.