Social media is a powerful tool.

Rumors can fly around the world in seconds, thanks to our ever-connected devices and social media.

Something with a grain of truth can grow into a bolder of misinformation at the same pace.

Take for instance a recent rumor that later proved to be false about men in a white van abducting young people.

Who knows where or how the rumor started? Perhaps with a grain of truth of an incident associated with a white van in some part of the nation.

Before long, however, every white van in every city in the nation was all of the sudden a potential vehicle of abduction and torture.

Reports of white vans with blood dripping out the back door surfaced on social media in many parts of the nation including Natchez.

It is hard to blame a young woman for feeling threatened by men in a white van she encountered in Natchez last week when she called the police.

She did the right thing under the circumstances. We should all be vigilant, aware of our surroundings and on guard for potential wrongdoing.

If you see something, say something, the saying goes.

We propose that rule of thumb applies to social media as well.

When you see something sensational posted on social media, check it out. Find out what the original source of the information was before aimlessly passing it on to your friends.

Stop to see if the information came from a reputable news source. Make some effort to confirm the information before passing it on.

And, by all means, try not to embellish the information if you do pass it on.

Better yet. If you believe the post is valid and poses a threat to the community, call the proper law enforcement authorities and let them deal with it before passing it along on social media.