by Alexis Speck Glennon, LCSW-R, and Julie Muñoz-Nájar, MSW, LSW
Each newly minted and seasoned social employees are grappling with the altering know-how panorama of our Twenty first-century work. After studying that first line, you’re in all probability assuming that this text will take the straight “beeline” to a dialogue on telehealth. We’re happening a special journey, so seize your compass!
Professionals in fields reminiscent of training, info sciences, communication, and so forth, are having conversations round know-how and elevating the crimson flags that the evolving panorama is presenting. The social work occupation as a complete will not be as geared up as we should be in serving to ourselves, our purchasers, and common society in navigating the altering world of know-how. This text is meant that will help you develop in your digital competencies as they relate to your observe. As talked about within the NASW Code of Ethics (2021) and an article by Stephen Cummings (2018), each arduous and tender competencies associated to know-how should be mirrored in our information and demonstration. Digital areas have their very own languages, customs, and values. Thus, we have to regularly reassess our expertise and competencies to observe ethically.
As two specialised (medical) college members who’ve been surveying the analysis and desires of social employees and know-how, we too are grappling with the right way to bridge the hole between what we have to know now and what we have to know for our future. To function your tech guides into this unfamiliar know-how world, we want to map out a really transient glossary of know-how phrases (info applied sciences, digital literacy, new media literacy, digital accountability, digital ethics, digital citizenship, digital empathy, and digital resilience), clarify why they matter to each our “actual” selves and to our digital selves after which bridge it to observe.
Social Work and Expertise
#SWTECH, why does this matter? In our roles as social employees, we’re working, sharing, and caring in digital areas whereas concurrently listening to from particular person purchasers and communities about how this technological progress is impacting them as people and extra broadly in our society. Not surprisingly, as of February 2021, 91% of adults report having both a smartphone or entry to the web (Perrin, 2021). As broadband entry to the web has elevated, the scope of social work observe’s person-in-environment has expanded to digital areas.
It’s necessary to carry consciousness that though growth and entry are taking place for a lot of, others are in digital poverty, thereby excluded from know-how because of {hardware} prices and non-existent, insufficient, or cost-prohibitive web entry in rural, city, and communities of shade, all of which hinders social capital and accessibility (Reisdorf et al., 2020; Atske & Perrin, 2021). Even with some communities being excluded or delayed in how they entry digital areas, the growth of digital environments typically consists of venturing into the doubtless unfamiliar digital world, which requires social employees to critically take into consideration their ability units, capacity to adapt to the present digital panorama, and the right way to anticipate and put together for future applied sciences (Goldkind et al., 2016).
Earlier than deciding whether or not you’ll adapt, embrace, or reject points of know-how, studying the foundational digital phrases and associated expertise is equally necessary to understanding the know-how ecology and its presence in social work observe and competency. To get us began, seize your emotional help water bottle and let’s cross the bridge into the tech panorama to scope out foundational digital phrases and associated expertise. Then we’ll puddle hop into some eventualities illustrating how they could apply to your observe.
Info and Communications Expertise (ICT)
Info and communication applied sciences (ICTs) are digital instruments used to convey, manipulate, and retailer info (Perron et.al, 2010).
How it’s used:
- Computer systems
- Cell telephones
- Tablets
- Electronic mail
- Social media apps
- Distance studying web sites (e.g., Canvas)
- Cloud providers
Digital Literacy
Digital literacy is the power to make use of info and communication applied sciences to seek out, consider, create, and talk info (Considine et. al., 2009; Carrington, 2018).
How it’s used:
- Utilizing Zoom
- Internet Searching
- Creating with PowerPoint
New Media Literacy
New media literacy is a selected set of social expertise and cultural competencies which are critically used to navigate new digital areas (Younger, 2015).
How it’s used:
- Figuring out pretend information
- Privateness settings
- Affect of algorithms
- Social media use
- On-line security
- On-line networking
Digital Accountability
Digital accountability refers to efforts by individuals to contribute to a extra sustainable, extra inclusive, honest, and value-based digital society past the authorized minimal (Trier et al., 2022).
How it’s used:
- Being genuine on-line
- Pondering critically about what social media platforms to interact on
- Contemplating others’ privateness earlier than posting on-line
Digital Ethics
Digital ethics refers to utilizing the digital ethics requirements and morals to interact in on-line settings by way of a social employee code of ethics lens (Joiner, 2019).
How it’s used:
- Gathering details about a shopper electronically
- Assessing shopper information remotely
- Creating social media insurance policies
- Discarding outdated digital units
- GDPR (Normal Knowledge Safety Regulation)
Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship refers back to the accountable use of know-how by anybody and the norms of habits relating to lively know-how use (Zook, 2019; Simsek & Simsek, 2013).
How it’s used:
- Sharing, considering, and co-creating on-line
- Understanding how the web works
- Working towards digital wellness
- Understanding consumer information
- Studying accountable social media use
- Might be known as the tutorial pedagogy of digital studying in Okay-12 faculties
Digital Empathy
Digital empathy is outlined as the normal empathic traits reminiscent of concern and caring for others expressed by way of computer-mediated communications (Jiang & Gao, 2020).
How it’s used:
- Understanding that you’re solely seeing one facet of the story on-line
- Critically eager about how viewing or partaking in on-line bullying, on-line aggression, or on-line violence makes you and others really feel
Digital Resilience
Digital resilience is outlined as withstanding and overcoming detrimental experiences and pressures in on-line settings (Sage et al., 2021).
How it’s used:
- Critically eager about what you’re partaking in on-line and the way it’s making you are feeling
- Understanding what to do if one thing flawed occurs on-line
- Studying from experiences of being on-line and altering behaviors
Follow: What further examples would you establish in every class from your individual observe or life?
Bridge to Social Work Follow
Case Research: TikTok
What in case you are utilizing a tool that has shopper contacts saved in it and you employ that very same gadget to log onto TikTok? TikTok connects to contacts saved on the gadget to filter an algorithm to view movies created from “your contacts.” TikTok and different apps like this current a special technique to deal with social media vs. the extra conventional apps like Fb and Instagram, the place you should settle for a contact to be related within the app. This presents a state of affairs that requires you to think about know-how expertise reminiscent of new media literacy, digital ethics, and digital accountability.
Issues to think about:
- What do you do in the event you by accident bump into your shopper’s TikTok?
- What do you say or not say to your shopper?
- What must be included in your social media knowledgeable consent or coverage? (Here’s a step by step guide to growing one.)
Case Research: Hashtags
Hashtags are a good way to remain related to present traits and new info on social media apps reminiscent of Twitter. However it is very important perceive what hashtags stand for and are used most for. This requires us to dive deep into our new media literacy expertise! For instance, many social employees use SW for brief, however on social media, so do Star Wars followers and intercourse employees. So earlier than you employ #SW for social work-related subjects, it is very important perceive that others might imagine you’re referring to Star Wars or intercourse work. Most social employees use the hashtag #SocialWork or #SWTech to distinguish from different #SW subjects. New Media Literacy tip: Discover hashtags to see how others are utilizing them earlier than you add one to your posts! For Twitter, the Tweetdeck web site is a good place to comply with a number of hashtags or creators at one time.
Case Research: Consumer Biometrics
You’re working at a big authorities company, and the executive and IT groups simply introduced they are going to be buying a brand new element of the present case administration platform that can collect and retailer shopper biometrics, particularly, facial scans utilizing facial recognition know-how. They tout that it will enhance employees productiveness and shopper entry to information whereas reducing shopper fraud throughout providers and that that is the pure subsequent step, since they already gather shopper fingerprint biometrics. How would you react to this announcement? How would possibly this go towards the NASW Code of Ethics? How would possibly both of those surveillance applied sciences hurt the shopper? What energy and affect may you’ve gotten at any degree of this group to query, resist, or assist discover equitable options to keep up shopper privateness?
Instruments and Subsequent Steps on Your Social Work Tech Journey
As we close to the tip of our winding map of phrases, tech expertise, and examples, you’re hopefully recognizing the numerous expertise you have already got and uncovering areas that you simply and your purchasers would possibly want for the ever-evolving tech journey. As the ultimate pit cease, under are just some suggestions to remain geared up.
- Stay curious. Learn headlines, and search for indicators of necessary traits impacting tech and society.
- Ask your friends what they’re scuffling with to not really feel so remoted or overwhelmed.
- Observe skilled teams, reminiscent of All Tech is Human, Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (NTEN), and The Network for Social Work Management (NSWM), who’re continuously partaking on these subjects.
- Discover the work of content material consultants who middle know-how and fairness, reminiscent of Sinead Bovell, Amy Webb, Ruha Benjamin, Safiya Noble, Sonia Livingstone.
- Attend CEU workshops on subjects like know-how competency, tech ethics, digital divides, blockchain, and so forth.
- In fact, keep tuned to the postings right here on The New Social Employee web site and the writings of Dr. Gina Griffin, the tech author.
- Be part of Fb teams devoted to social work and know-how, such because the group Digital Literacy Conversations for Mental Health Practitioners!
References
Atske, S., & Perrin, A. (2022, August 25). Residence broadband adoption, laptop possession fluctuate by race, ethnicity within the U.S. Pew Analysis Heart. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/07/16/home-broadband-adoption-computer-ownership-vary-by-race-ethnicity-in-the-u-s/
Carrington, V. (2018). The altering panorama of literacies: Huge information and algorithms. Digital Tradition & Training, 10(1), 67-76. https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/68380/1/Carrington.pdf
Considine, D., Horton, J., & Moorman, G. (2009). Educating and reaching the millennial era by way of media literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Grownup Literacy, 52(6), 471-481.
Cummings, S. (2018, October 2). Social Work Tech Notes—Social work and future know-how: What may be automated, might be. The New Social Employee. https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/technology-articles/social-work-tech-notes-social-work-and-future-technology-what-can-be-automated-will-be/
Goldkind, L., Wolf, L., & Jones, J. (2016). Late adapters? How social employees purchase information and sklls about know-how instruments. Jounal of Expertise in Human Providers, 34(4), 338-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2016.1250027
Jiang, L., & Gao, J. (2020). Fostering EFL learners’ digital empathy by way of multimodal composing. RELC journal, 51(1), 70-85.
Joiner, J. M. (2019). Digital ethics in social work training. Journal of Educating in Social Work, 39(4-5), 361-373.
Nationwide Affiliation of Social Employees. (2021). Code of ethics of the Nationwide Affiliation of Social Employees. NASW Press. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Perrin, A. (2021, June 3). Cell know-how and residential broadband 2021. Pew Analysis Heart: Web, Science & Tech. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/06/03/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2021/
Perron, B., Taylor, H., Glass, J., & Margerum-Leys, J. (2010). Info and communication applied sciences in social work. Advances in Social Work, 11(2), 67-81.
Reisdorf, B. C., Triwibowo, W., & Yankelevich, A. (2020). Laptop computer or bust: How lack of know-how impacts pupil achievement. American Behavioral Scientist, 64(7), 927-949.
Sage, M., Randolph, Okay., Fitch, D., & Sage, T. (2021). Web use and resilience in adolescents: A scientific overview. Analysis on Social Work Follow, 31(2), 171-179. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731520967409
Simsek, E., & Simsek, A. (2013). New literacies for digital citizenship. Up to date Instructional Expertise, 4(2), 126-137.
Trier, M., Kundisch, D., Beverungen, D., Müller, O., Schryen, G., & Mirbabaie, M. (2022). Digital accountability. SSRN Digital Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4026082
Younger, J. A. (2015). Assessing new media literacies in social work training: The event and validation of a complete evaluation instrument. Journal of Expertise in Human Providers, 33(1), 72-86. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2014.998577
Zook, C. (2019, December 10). What’s digital citizenship & how do you train it? Utilized Instructional Techniques. https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-is-digital-citizenship
Alexis Speck Glennon, LCSW-R, is a Physician of Social Work candidate on the College at Buffalo and Core School at Union Institute and College. Her analysis space is digital literacy expertise for social employees and the social work occupation’s function in tech justice. She additionally loves to attach by way of Twitter @alexis_glennon to maintain the #SWTECH dialog going.
Julie Muñoz-Nájar, MSW, LSW, is Scientific Assistant Professor on the College of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, the place she teaches each area and know-how programs. She can be an anticipatory social work Fellow on the Social Work Well being Futures Lab. Be part of Julie @JulieMunozNajar on Twitter.
