SOCIAL MEDIA AND ETHICS.....CHILD AND YOUTH CARE IN SOUTH AFRICA

There appears to be a gap in our child and youth care Codes of Conduct, Code of Ethics, Guide for the policies of the course of Ethical Conduct for Social Service Professions. None of these refer to social media ethics specifically. There is obviously a flow over from what is contained in the Regulations attached to the South African Council for Social Services Act . It's just that it would be appropriate in this digital age for social media to get specific mention. All the regulations on ethical conduct for Social Service Professionals  regulate the Acts or Omissions Deemed to be Unprofessional or Improper include a section which has to do with behaviour which, with due regard to the prestige, status and dignity of the profession, is detrimental to his/her position as a social service professional. This then applies to child and youth care workers.

It is unethical for us to publicly criticise other Social Service Professions or professionals. Yet social media appears to be regarded as immune. It's used in the bigger context as freedom of speech.  

I remember being given an example of unethical speech freedom. Apart from hate speech. In a crowded cinema it is illegal to yell "Fire!, Fire!" when there is no fire. Unnecessary panic and anxiety and fear is aroused. A mass exodus through narrow exits put people of risk of harm. So it is in our profession. Yet, so often we see the cry of "Fire" when there is a smouldering in a corner of the profession which can be contained.  The risk....   a mass exodus. There is clearly a difference between advocating for the profession as a whole on social media and using it to drag contextually specific issues into the digital arena.

We all actually know, what we say and do and how we are perceived in the wider community has ethical implications for our profession. Once a professional, always a professional. In social media this appears to be frequently disregarded. What if our clients, children and young people search our time-line on facebook. And it IS done! I'm told that employers check out time lines as background checking of the references of work applicants. If they do it, then our young people in care can do just that....and will. What will they find there? 

If some of the posts I sometimes read and see is any measure, - then whoooo!

I am NOT GENERALISING. In some posts only. Private life is exposed. Stuff we would never share with our clients. Sexual behaviours, relationships, allegations, family issues Much of what, as professionals we keep to ourselves and to our close friends perhaps our family. But, there it is, for all to see and read. Believe me, I'm not writing this as a prude, but as a professional. At a personal level there is much which is beautiful, witty, insightful, but my concern is how will our posts be interpreted by the children and young people in our care if it appears on our timeline? Provocative poses, Explicit wording, expansive cleavage, bulging crotches.???

There is another social media trend. It's the open often vilifying criticism of the workplace. In terms of our ethical behaviour toward the employer, there is reference to our not criticising the workplace in the public media....interpreted as newspapers and TV. Social Service Professional ethics as well as workplace codes of conduct simply disallow this. There was a post which said there is a workplace manager who made it policy that if he/she makes a friend request on Face Book, staff members are requires to accept. Not at all sure of the ethics of such a policy !!!! It does though, speak volumes of employer anxiety that internal workplace or personal criticism will be exposed on social media.   Social media seems to be interpreted as "Chatting to friends", which it may be. But social media can be a public medium  depending on how it is used or managed.  So, some texts are a diatribe of organisational criticism. I was once told that anything in the digital arena is in the public domain It can be used. It can go viral'. It can be a yell of "Fire! Fire" in the crowded cinema. There ARE other forums, other platforms, for this.

The use of a question on social media allure other professionals to come out and uncover within organisation/facility criticisms. The questioner is protected, when others, I think, in good faith, may put themselves at risk.

None of this means that we, as child and youth care workers are closed off, that our freedom of speech is stifled, The use of administrated groups, closed groups, and privacy settings can allow us protection as professionals. I was given lots of advice when I went onto use social media. Much of which I have ignored, I'm afraid to say. Like, use LINKIN for professional contact. Have a family group for family matters. But I like facebook. It is interactional, stimulating, and is a platform for us to keep informed, to debate and to make plans. JUST..ethically,....  be guarded. Be safeguarded. It's the public nature of social media that place us at most risk of  possible professional ethical complaint.