Mastering Digital Media for Workers, Employers, and Our Community of Practice

Abstract

Before health and safety information can be used to make policy or designed to change behavior, it must be contextually translated and disseminated within a social context. The communication process is a social process. It is therefore critical that our digital media strategies are designed to share our ideas within a more social context. Ideally, digital marketing interventions to change behavior should include social strategies for extending the reach of relevant information, moving our audiences to engage with the information, and finally stimulating activities for action. Health and safety professionals can extend the reach of useful safety and health information and assist the knowledge‐translation process by understanding the current digital media landscape and utilizing the appropriate digital platforms to include, but not limited to, social media, social video, Wikipedia, smartphone‐assisted apps, and wearables. Safety standards, guidelines, and knowledge gained from peer‐reviewed journals and evidence‐based practice are helpful resources for new learning, but information must be put into a more social context to reach and engage users. Dissemination is not engagement, and engagement is not action, but they are key parts of the digital media continuum moving essential information into practice. Having a huge social media presence does not assure action by our target audiences. As safety and health practitioners, we love to share evidence‐based findings, but we must constantly strive to understand and utilize effective and relevant social strategies to move our users beyond reach to engagement and impact.