In today's modern world, it is extremely common for teenagers, between the ages of 13 and 17, to have some sort of online profile with popular websites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. Many of them update their status twice a day, sharing life events with friends and family abroad, and have on average 150 friends connected to their online profile. However, there is a dark side to the hype on social networks: the health, friendships and relationships of our teenagers are at stake. Too much time spent on these popular social networks can be dangerous to the health of our young people, both mentally and physically. One of these health risks comes from a term known as hyper networking. Hyper networking is a condition in which a person binges on modern communication technologies such as cell phone texting and social networks. The American Public Health Association conducted a survey in what they called a “typical Midwestern county” and found that 1 in 5 teens engaged in hyper texting, defined by sending more than 120 text messages per school day . Even more, the study found that "hyper-texters" were 40 times more likely to have tried cigarettes, twice as likely to have tried alcohol, twice as likely to have had sex, and three times more likely to have having had more than 4 partners. . However, these heartbreaking findings don't stop there. Teens who spend more than 3 hours a day in school are more likely to use illegal drugs, have lower academic grades, and even commit suicide due to depression. Since the vast majority of cell phone users are teenagers, 20% of fatal teen car accidents are due to texting while driving. This is because teenagers feel like they need to have their cell phone with them at all times so they don't miss a call or text message. They too... middle of paper... are in play. In the future, when today's teenagers are grown up and ready for the job market, an employer will be able to view their profile online to evaluate whether the candidate is worthy of a position. However, if the job opportunity requires face-to-face interaction and people skills, those skills may be underdeveloped and risk losing your job. Works Cited Case Western Reserve University. “Hyper-messaging and hyper-networking linked to adolescent health risks.” ScienceDaily, 9 November 2010. Web. 16 August 2011. British Association for the Advancement of Science (2007, 14 September). Are social networks changing the face of friendship? ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 16, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912161147.htmUniversity of Georgia. “Facebook profiles can be used to detect narcissism.” ScienceDaily, 23 September 2008. Web. 16 August. 2011.