Social media connects people across the world, builds supportive communities, and provides instant access to news, information and education. It also offers powerful tools for creative expression, business marketing, and raising awareness for important social causes. Social media has a global reach and thus enables individuals to connect with friends and family anywhere. It also helps locate groups based on hobbies or life experiences and in getting comfort and advice from peers during tough times. Likewise, social media helps in skill building by enabling individuals to learn new things. It also facilitates self-expression by way of sharing art, writing, music, and videos with a wide audience. Above all, social media helps people stay updated on world events and scientific or cultural trends. But social media can become dangerous when misused. It can then cause serious harm to both individuals and society. Excessive social media use often triggers anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Online harassment and malicious rumours, on the other hand, can cause lasting emotional distress. It is now well-established that certain social media platforms are engineered to encourage addictive habits which ultimately disrupt sleep and focus. Furthermore, sharing excessive personal data makes users vulnerable to identity theft, scams and data breaches. Studies have proved that social media misuse can cause social distrust by amplifying polarised content and misinformation, thus spreading unverified information and hatred. It has been ascertained that social media platforms use algorithms which prioritize high engagement at the cost of truth and facts. Shocking content, angry or controversial, receives more views and pushes sensational or false stories, while factual information gets buried. The most dangerous thing is that anyone can publish anything on social media instantly without conducting any fact-checking. Fake news spreads fast because it triggers strong emotions and tension like fear and outrage. Social media misuse in the Northeast has been held responsible by many for heavily fuelling mistrust by enabling the rapid, unverified spread of fake news, manipulated visuals, rumours, and hate speech across deeply diverse ethnic groups. Harvard studies indicate that social media misuse breeds distrust by accelerating unverified, emotionally charged rumours and amplifying polarised content. It also weakens trust in mainstream media, where fact-checking is a must before releasing any content. In the recent few days, for instance, tensions between Assam and Meghalaya had spiked after violent protests and vehicle vandalism in Shillong on August 19 were heavily amplified by unverified claims on social media. A section of people have allegedly also misused the media to flare up the tension and spread hatred.