There is currently no minimum time an order to buy or sell securities must remain open on American Stock Exchanges. The lack of a minimum time has created a modern phenomenon known as high-frequency trading. High-Frequency trading involves high speed computers controlled by mathematical algorithms (also known as algobots) placing and retracting thousands of orders per second. This effective spamming of the market with orders can have damaging side effects and should be regulated to a minimum open duration of 0.05 seconds on all orders.
Potential Negative Side Effects of High-Frequency Trading:
1.) Scares away "true value" investors
2.) Removes humans from the trading equation
3.) Caused unexplainable Flash Crash
4.) Is radically short-sighted in its nature