I have always thought that social media was going to become more of a scourge than a saviour.

Now, there’s more and more evidence to support my concern.

We in public life are, like many, in the line of fire, with extreme threats of death or rape not uncommon.

In fact, the situation’s so bad that a former Facebook executive launched a devastating criticism on the service only this week.

Chamath Palihapitiya told Stanford university students that social media was “ripping apart” the fabric of society, leaving users feeling “empty and vacant”.

He went on to say that “truth and popularity” are being confused, with potentially malevolent forces spending fortunes to manipulate our beliefs.

Far from being in charge of our own destinies, Mr Palihapitiya believes we’re being programmed by these sites.

His comments come at a time where the power and influence of social media are under scrutiny.

In the US, Mr Trump’s election victory is being investigated for manipulation by Russian hackers, while Mrs May has warned that Russia’s meddling in elections and planting fake news stories.

With over two and a half billion users, social media’s reach is unimaginable.

As it turns out, it was designed that way.

Last month, Facebook’s first President Sean Parker admitted that, from the outset, the founders knew they were exploiting “a vulnerability in human psychology”.

By pressing the ‘like’, ‘hearts’, or ‘thumbs up’ button on social media sites, our brains receive a ‘hit’ of the addictive neurotransmitter dopamine.

Research shows that those who are really hooked touch their phone screens more than 2,500 times a day.

Of course there is a place for modern forms of communication, and it’s not all bad, but who polices it?

It’s like the wild west out there, and a lot of people are getting hurt.