Nowadays technology is everywhere. There is almost no escape from the digital world and it is hard to separate our lives from our smart phones. Like with everything, there are both positives and negatives associated with technology and how it applies to social work. Indeed, technological advances have made the world more accessible. We can now speak to people from all over the world, and even see their faces using the world-wide web. The internet then allows us to easily connect across countries and cultures.
This ability to access what was once inaccessible permits us to enhance social work practice, research, and education. For example, telehealth/telemental health accommodations provide a space for people to receive services even when transportation issues are present. Most social science researchers would agree that computer software simplifies the management of data collection, organization, and analysis. There is also much utility for technology in the realm of social work education. For example, my friend Dr. Beal, has created goggles to simulate group work with clients, so that students may practice facilitation skills before entering the field. Clearly there are benefits to living in the digital age. Technology is a wonder, for certain, that contains both attributes and problems. In truth, I would argue that the good aspects outweigh the bad. However, this blog will focus on some of the drawbacks associated with technology as it relates to the social work profession, and how to address those issues as social workers. Whether you are a social work client, student, educator, or practitioner, it is important to consider the impact and consequences of how technology is used. For one, privacy becomes problematic in the digital realm. Social media permits immediate access to photographs, location of status updates, spots frequented by digital consumers, birthdays, and much more. People oftentimes voluntarily disclose information without considering the consequences. What ensues is the creation of an irreversible technological trail that influences who connects with you and what they think about you. Many times, our digital faces, are one simple facet of who we are as people that fail to represent the whole. However, what we portray on the internet is how people perceive us to be. As social work educators, we should inform our students about the need to maintain professionalism in technology and privatize their personal information. We must also empower clients to thoughtfully consider the consequences of what they choose to share, while brainstorming ways for them to use technology to their advantage. A related subject to privacy is confidentiality, which has become also non-existent in today's digital world. With a simple Google search, people can find your age, your address, and even the names of your relatives and their addresses. Although, I appreciate the ability to share my thoughts with all of you through this blog work, there are certain things I want to keep confidential. Information that was easily kept confidential in the past, is now made attainable to just about anyone, after grazing a few minutes on the world-wide web. As social workers, we must consider the ease in which confidential information is found, take steps to safeguard our clients' personal information, along with our own. We must also educate students to take precautions that ensure their confidentiality is maintained. Consider the implications of abusers having access to survivors' personal information, such as addresses. Even as someone that tends to look on the bright side of life, I can think of numerous situations where the internet places clients, students, educators, and practitioners at risk. This brings me to my third point, technology creates safety issues. In addition to the lack of confidentiality and privacy, people also use the digital world to aggressively target, bully, and harass others. The increased usage of social media has created a forum for the occurrence of bullying to occur outside of school premises. Youth suicides associated with cyber bullying, have become a recent phenomenon that we frequently hear about on the news. This is inexcusable and an area where social workers can work with clients and students to navigate through this horrendous reality. The bumper sticker, "mean people suck", just came to mind and can be used as a mantra for those experiencing cyber bullying. Additionally, the increased usage of online dating is also a cause for concern. Although many have found love on these websites, truth be told, no one really knows who is on the other side of the computer screen. Men and women alike, who have emotional disturbances, utilize these sites to lure children and/or vulnerable people looking for love. Again, this is an area that requires social work attentiveness. We should encourage clients and others to be careful on these sites, review risks, and empower them to effectively ensure their own safety. Finally, those of us that grew up with easy access to the internet seem to forget that many generations did not and cultures do not. Simply put, we will be working with people that don't know how to use a computer. Some of the wisest people in the world have never used a computer or are limited with what they can do on a computer. Intellect is an internal process within each of us that we may, or may not, choose to share digitally. When working with people limited by technology, we must keep in mind the dignity and worth that resides in each of them and us. People are still intelligent even if they don't know how to use a computer. As someone in her early 30s, I remember when people used checks at the grocery store and the card catalog at the library. We owned a phone growing up with a cord attached to the wall. Technology is a newer phenomenon and we forget that sometimes. We should do our best to remember that, while honoring wisdom for wisdom's sake. In closing, I believe that the social work profession and people in general must critically think about issues created by the digital world that we live in. We should work diligently to mitigate these problems, while preparing for potential consequences. Together, we emphasize the dignity and worth of all living people by attempting to keep them safe and treating them with respect in our digital age.
6 Comments
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