I don’t know about you, but my experience with social media has been a bit of a Ying and Yang phenomenon.

On the one side, keeping up with friends and family has made life easier, while on the other, there are some qualities that drive up my blood pressure.

And just for the record, because I am a woman of a more seasoned age, I admit most of my quips about social media pertain to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

I know little, if anything, about the plethora of other sites available to spread information.

With that being said, in addition to enjoying viewing pictures of my extended family that live outside the state, I can also appreciate the positive side of social media when it comes to releasing accurate news information.

While I may need a fire extinguisher to put out the candles on my birthday cake, I don’t live under a rock to realize social media is becoming more and more of the go-to source for information.

Our newspaper even has a Facebook page and website.

However, because everyone has access to social media, many of us, unfortunately, may jump down the rabbit hole of believing “fake news.”

Which means, now more than ever, we need to be vigilant in determining when something is fact or fiction.  A lot of the information we encounter is the latter.

For instance, apnews.com, which is a reliable source of news, posted that during the 2016 election season, ultra conservatives over the age of 65 shared approximately seven times more fake information masquerading as news on the social media site than younger adults, moderates and super liberals.

Social media is also having a negative impact on our youth. According to Forbes and NPR, a new study shows teenage girls who spend time on social media are more at risk for depression.

And what about cyber bulling?

The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” was not coined in the age of social media.

Words do hurt.

And while I am a believer in the power of prayer, I don’t know if God intends for us to share every life dilemma on social media.

Just because your twice-divorced third-cousin Jethro has been rendered impotent following a surgery requiring that he and his new wife Mabel are having to rethink their honeymoon plans, does not mean he would necessarily appreciate others knowing all the details of his situation, even if prayer would be helpful.

A post like that might just give poor old Jethro a heart attack, which may be a more appropriate social media request for prayers!

Whether we like it or not, social media is here to stay, so in an effort to use it wisely, think long and hard before you post.

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer at The Vicksburg Post. Readers are invited to submit their opinions for publication.