“You’ll never believe what Jenny said in therapy today!”
This used to be something you’d hear in the lounge or in passing amongst colleagues. Now, you’ll see this on a Facebook post or made into a meme and shared instantly with thousands of fellow therapists through the magic of social media. Sure, social media has a lot of advantages. Just ask your SLP friends who are holding down the entire district fort in some places. However, utilizing social media can also lead to some tricky ethical balancing acts or unintended consequences. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Positive: Collaboration has never been so popular.
Post a question, a scenario, a stumper, a funny story, or other content to a social media channel and BAM! 100 of your closest friends have commented and helped you to better understand the situation you’re in. Before social media you had to know the email addresses of colleagues. And before that, you might get to collaborate about situations and students a few times a year. This comes with so many advantages for us and for our students. If two heads are better than one… then 42,000 are definitely better than one!
Pitfall: People can be mean.
It is so much easier to state your opinion from a keyboard than in person. Some people may take this a little too far on social media. I have seen many instances where a person poses a seemingly-innocent question or situation, only to be told they are doing it all wrong and should maybe consider a different career path (well, maybe not in so many words but you get the idea). It’s mean. None of us are perfect and we sure as stuff haven’t always done textbook EBP with our clients. Sometimes you have to step back and realize that each grad program was different, each clinical rotation was different, and every career has been different. Be helpful and put aside judgment.
Positive: There are some smart and creative people out there!
You know I have a blog and social media and I’m sure you know of many other “SLP Personalities” out and about on Instagram and Pinterest, making therapy look gorgeous. It’s inspiring. I get in ruts with my therapy and I see my clients’ eyes glaze over when we overuse something. It is so helpful to hop on to Instagram in the evening and pick the creative brains of all the other #SLPeeps out there. My students have definitely benefited from the gorgeous brains of other SLPs.
Pitfall: Therapy isn’t always gorgeous – don’t compare yourself!
Sometimes my office looks like a tornado of kindergarteners and paint daubers hit. It gets messy. Learning isn’t always pretty and my desk DEFINITELY should not go on instagram on most days! It’s easy to think that everybody you see on social media has found a stash of magic therapy fairy dust. The truth is that they all struggle too. There are days they can’t see below the stacks of files and protocols on their desk. There are days they whip out a stack of artic cards and play go fish. Take some of the creativity from social media and give yourself some grace at the same time!
Positive: Learning and resources galore
If I need to find a resource, PD, or information about just about anything, I can find it online. Many conferences are hosted virtually and even some of my go-to SLPs are those who I met online first. It’s impossible to exist as an SLP off the grid. So, harness it. Learn from those around you online and in person. Start folders of great websites, online materials, freebies, apps, and smarty-pants SLPs to go to when you’re stuck. The internet is always open!
Pitfall: Professionalism
Many of us interact on social media as ourselves. We didn’t invent a fun pseudonym under which we interact in various groups. So, that means that people know who you are. And even more than that, you are STILL bound by the ASHA code of ethics and general professionalism online. You should keep in mind that other SLPs can use things they see you posting online as reasons to report an ethical violation. Also, remember that it is very likely that your coworkers are interacting in the same social media groups and mediums. I typically try to post as I would speak to a group of the SLPs with whom I work. Keep it positive, professional, private (if needed), and purposeful.
Overall, social media has changed the life of SLPs forever. There’s no going back! It is a great tool but can be a trap if you aren’t careful. So enjoy the digital water cooler… wisely!
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