An explosion of tweets and snaps claiming there was an active shooter at the mall popped up all over social media. In a matter of seconds, thousands of people fled the mall in panic. People dumped their clothes on the floor, children were separated from their parents, and shoppers cowered in bathrooms. Those who could get out were snarled in a monstrous traffic jam that snaked  around the mall.

That’s what happened on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017 at Aventura Mall, one of the busiest malls in Broward County; it was one of the busiest days of the year. Mass shootings are happening with such frequency that a tweeted rumor can send thousands ducking for cover and fleeing for their lives. Even though Aventura Police have determined that there was no shooter and no shots fired, people saw their phones and panicked.

It was a social media-hyped rumor. And everyone believed it. How could they not?

“Welcome to the world of social media and the internet,” said mall security expert Chris McGoey. With bombings and shootings taking place daily in our society, it’s understandable for someone to mistake a loud noise for a gunshot.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 307 mass shootings from January 1 to November 5. That averages to almost 7 mass shootings a week. This is what our future generations and kids are going to be living in. We now have to take great precaution to go to school, to go to work, or to go out with friends. The “Aventura shooting” was a prime example of citizens assuming the worst due to our society. With the way our world is heading, these numbers will only increase.

What can we do to help prevent these common shootings? Maybe enforce stricter gun laws, maybe have centers where people with mental illnesses can talk about their problems and seek professional help, maybe even have some restrictions on social media.

The point is, we need to take action to better our future generations. It starts with us.