Considering the ethical implications of social media in social work education

Social Media in Social Work Education

“…Encouraging student engagement with My account of how a part-time, mature doctoral student, single-parent and unlikely user of social media, came to find myself addressing such an auspicious audience will form much of this chapter. Whilst analyses of social media use within education, are beginning to appear more frequently in the literature, these are often concerned with the potential pitfalls (Allwardt, 2011;Bolton, 2011;Duncan-Daston, Hunter-Sloan and Fullmer, 2013). Within this chapter, however, I will concentrate on the positive contributions of social media, particularly the social networking platform Twitter, and its value in building professional and personal communities, distributing knowledge and reducing isolation.…”

“…Schrembi (2008) wrote about the potential of new technologies for social worker educators and practitioners illustrating several different ways in which they could support service user empowerment, and how social workers were ideally placed to advise policy makers about online safety issues. Duncan Daston et al (2013) in the US context discuss the ethical issues related to social media and social work education. They draw our attention to the priority which social work educators must give to ensuring that their students are informed about the professional codes of conduct which apply.…”

Social Media and HIV/AIDS: Implications for Social Work Education

“…Westwood suggests that the app is useful as a reflection tool for social work students and is cost-effective as an educational purchase (Westwood, 2014). The speed of communication and open access formats of most social media platforms present unique challenges and opportunities for social work educators who are responsible for teaching students about ethical practice in all venues including those that require online presence (Duncan-Daston et al, 2013). Research reveals that social work students are not using appropriate online settings in their interactions on social media, are willing to 'friend a client, ' and demonstrated low levels of awareness of how their presence on social media may impact their professional identities and behaviors.…”

“…Research reveals that social work students are not using appropriate online settings in their interactions on social media, are willing to 'friend a client, ' and demonstrated low levels of awareness of how their presence on social media may impact their professional identities and behaviors. Instructors and students may also violate boundaries through the development of friendships on Facebook and Twitter (Duncan-Daston et al, 2013;Mukherjee & Clark, 2012). Developing young professionals across helping professions seem to find it hard to distinguish between personal and professional boundaries when interacting with social media forums (Cain, Scott, & Akers, 2009;Coe, Weijs, Muise, Christofides, & Desmarais, 2011).…”

Even When No One Is Looking: Students’ Perceptions of Social Work Professions. A Case Study in a Northern Ireland University

“…Or the wider influence of a society powered by Instagram and social media? Duncan-Daston et al, in their paper, suggest that social work educators alongside students must be cognisant of the ways in which online profiles impact on their 'professional presence' [52]. Upholding public trust and confidence forms part of the current curriculum for social work in the UK and is embedded within the revised Standards of Conduct for Social Work Students [53].…”