Social Work and Social Media: Organizing in the Digital Age

Abstract

Social workers are trained to be actively involved in the lives of their clients and communities. They become seeped in the socio-cultural environments and lived realities of people negatively affected by oppression and social injustices. As such, it is easy for social workers to suffer from vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue. Complicating this reality is the effect of social media on the wellbeing of social workers. The use of devices, such as smartphones and tablets, is used regularly in education and workplace settings. Whether for strictly professional purposes, or dotted with personal use throughout the day, we are one tap away from the vast world of social media and social networking sites. The majority of Americans that have these devices access news stories on sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. These stories can certainly help inform us on the broader more macro issues our clients and communities face. But they can also have a profound effect on our ability to repeatedly engage with values, beliefs, and systems that are harmful and dangerous to our clients and ourselves. Because of our dependence on our devices, and the constant barrage of especially negative news stories, how can social workers continue to do their work effectively? This perspective piece considers repeated exposure to negative news stories on Facebook and its effects on social workers engaged in community organizing. Implications for further research are discussed.