Discussion 1.2

Discussion 1.2 Social Work Ethics with Digital and Social Media

Many social work students utilize digital and social media technologies personally, and will be asked to utilize them professionally. For professional social workers who utilize digital technologies, we need to be aware of the NASW Code of Ethics and professional standards around the use of technologies. Now, many students will utilize telehealth to provide professional services. Telehealth or tele-mental health are social work services that are administered virtually through the internet. This can include counseling, case management, or another form of telehealth. The following section provides suggestions for social work students who choose to utilize digital and social media, including offering telehealth.

Digital and Social Media Suggestions for Social Work Students

Digital devices are laptops, tablets, smart phones and any form of wearable technology. Social media are websites and applications that allow people to create and share content and/or participate in social networking.

Students in Social Work programs are expected to ethically use digital and social media. These suggestions are provided for students to help them better understand how best to utilize digital and social media in courses and in social work practice. Students are not required to have social media accounts and these suggestions are only applicable in cases where a student makes the decision to create a social media presence.

As social workers and educators we utilize ethical guidelines from the University, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the NASW & the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Standards for Technology and Social Work Practice, and state guidelines and regulations. These ethical digital and social media suggestions are based around the social work concepts of maintaining boundaries, confidentiality, and integrity.

In the classroom, students will:

• Bring and use digital devices for the sole purpose of taking notes and searching for course related content, if approved by the course instructor
• Keep all mobile phones, tablets, and other wearable devices on silent
• Alert the instructor prior to the start of class that there may be a situation where a phone call will need to be taken and ask for permission to leave class in order to answer the call

In the classroom, students will not:

• Use digital devices to do anything other than class related activities
• Answer phones, emails, or text messages during class sessions without advanced permission from the instructor
• Take or share photos without the permission of the instructor and/or the other students
• Record (audio or video) or share the recording of any activity in the class without the permission of the instructor and/or the other students

The best way to use email both as a student and as a professional is to:

• Always use your professional email address (e.g. student email address, work email address, etc.)
• Be professional
• Include a greeting to start off your email. If you do not know someone’s title please address them as professor or by their position (e.g. To the Director of Adoption Services). Next include a brief discussion that includes why and what you are emailing about, and a sign-off with a signature line
• Use complete sentences and proper punctuation
• Do not use jargon, emoticons, or emojis
• Respond to emails from your instructor, advisor, and/or the department in a timely manner

In regards to social media, Social Work students will:

• Receive permission to friend or follow another student and/or professor
• Obtain permission from others who may be involved in or potentially impacted by videos, pictures, etc. before posting them on social media accounts
• Consider using and maintaining privacy settings on personal social media accounts
• Abide by copyright laws, Creative Commons Licensing and other ethical guidelines when citing the work of others
• Refrain from posting negative comments about matters related to the educational program (e.g. field placements, class work, etc.), students, or faculty on social media
• Respond to email messages in a timely, respectful, and efficient manner
• Follow all state and agency guidelines related to digital technologies, including telehealth

In general, students need to realize that:

• Location-based services on social media and other sites may inadvertently divulge their whereabouts such as the location of the classroom on campus or the location of their agency
• Posts and comments about classmates and professors on social media may not remain private and confidential
• Sites that allow users to rate their professors and/or University can also compromise a student’s confidentiality
• State guidelines can be different in each state and change frequently. Therefore, students need to be familiar with the social work rules and regulations in their practice state/s. For more information on a state’s regulations and laws, you can visit: https://www.aswb.org/regulation/laws-and-regulations-database/

These guidelines were adapted from: Hitchcock, L. (2016, February 12). My guidelines for using digital and social tech in the classroom and beyond. Teaching and learning in social work [Blog] which is openly licensed through Creative Commons.