Social networks are increasingly important for educational processes; there is a diversity of criteria for its use in this context what motivates the reflection on the question: What influence do social networks have on the academic performance of secondary school students? In this sense, a descriptive study of bibliographic review was carried out, which passed through the documentary review and the hermeneutics. The main findings highlight that these virtual platforms, due to their interactivity and segmentation, can be valuable didactic resources in support of the teaching-learning process, which properly used benefit academic performance. Among the risks of their inappropriate employment are: becoming victims of unscrupulous cybernauts, decreasing family, social and peer relationships, establishing superficial and banal friendships with the usual loss of human values, developing dependency and low academic performance. Among the signs of addiction to these networks are: to deprive oneself of the dream to be connected to the network and to neglect the activities of daily life.