Please be my 'friend' - the (un)professional ethics of social media

Abstract

The rapid developments of online technologies and social media have thrown professionals who work in the social and human services into a space that can compromise appropriate relationships and boundaries between the personal and professional. This paper explores the concept of ‘e-professionalism’ from the perspectives of both professional practice and tertiary education, where practitioners and students need to consider, and be taught, how to present themselves professionally online, how to protect themselves from exploitation by others, and how to engage with clients and colleagues in the world of social media. There are many examples from the growing field of inter-professional ethics that illustrate the dangers of lack of due diligence and ethical consideration when creating connections with others in the social media context. Inappropriate use of social networking sites such as Facebook; lack of knowledge of privacy settings and protocols; and intrusive requests for accepting ‘friends’ in the context of therapeutic relationships are some of the problems explored. Implications for education and practice are discussed.