Twitter for Social Workers: A Basic Guide

1. Twitter: A (very) basic guide for social workers Summer, 2019 School of Social Work

2. Presentation objectives • Define and describe the Twitter social network platform • Discuss myths and facts about Twitter and social work engagement • Demonstrate how Twitter can be included in a social worker’s professional learning network • Apply the NASW Code of Ethics to the use of the Twitter platform School of Social Work

3. Stephen Cummings 337 NH 319-335-1331 clas.uiowa.edu/socialwork/people/stephen-cummings www.facebook.com/UofISSW/ @spcummings Stephen-cummings@uiowa.edu School of Social Work

4. What is Twitter? • Microblogging platform, launched March 21, 2006 • Originally meant to share messages via text • 140 character maximum, now expanded to 280 • Popularity increased around 2012 • 100 million users, 340 million tweets a day • Users engage via mobile and web application • As of 2019: approximately 321 million active users School of Social Work

5. Twitter characteristics • Twitter encourages you to follow other Twitter users on the platform. The more you “follow”, you more you can be “followed”. • Twitter follows a “timeline” model • When you access Twitter on your computer or mobile device, you either see the ”most recent tweets” or “most relevant tweets” • Most recent: a literal timeline, most recent tweets first • Most relevant: relies on an algorithm to show you what is most likely interesting to you School of Social Work

6. Twitter characteristics • Facebook: you follow me, I follow you. • Twitter: You can follow me, I don’t have to follow you. • Twitter: can ”protect” my tweets, so people who ask to follow me need my approval to see my tweets • This reduces the ability for me to reach people • Impression: occurs when your tweet appears in another Twitter user’s timeline • These data can help understand how much ”reach” your tweets have School of Social Work

7. An example of simple “tweet” School of Social Work

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9. An example Twitter thread • Original tweet is posted • Responses can be posted in a thread to the original post • Twitter’s algorithm promotes the tweet so more people can see the tweet and the respective thread School of Social Work

10. Twitter’s strengths • A “hub” for world events • Connects professionals together • Threaded conversations about themes • Hashtagging connects discussions • Virtual, non-geographically-based communities evolve • Great tool for following social work (or related field) conferences • #MacroSW: Topic hashtag • #APM18: Conference Hashtag School of Social Work

11. From Teaching Social Work with Digital Technology “We have no idea how many book collaborations begin on Twitter, but ours is probably not the only one.”  • Smyth, Hitchcock and Sage (2019) School of Social Work

12. Professional networks • Professional use of social media platforms like Twitter engage students in a professional realm • Twitter provides a concrete example of professional development in non-geographical communities • Use of professional identifications, following relevant hashtags support this development School of Social Work

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14. The #MacroSW Twitter chat • Chats are held every Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific. • Moderated by a member of the #MacroSW collaboration • Topics are posted on a website MacroSW.comprior to the chat. School of Social Work

15. NASW Code of Ethics • Code of Ethics updated in 2018 • New emphasis placed on understanding technology, but these additions supplement existing language in the Principles and Standards. • Example: Conflict of Interest (1.06) • (f) Social workers should be aware that posting personal information on professional Web sites or other media might cause boundary confusion, inappropriate dual relationships, or harm to clients. School of Social Work

16. Myths and Frustrations • Myths • Twitter is similar to the old “chat room” model • Twitter does not reflect professionalism or scholarship • Frustrations • People can attack others • “Doxxing” • Innacurate information spreads far and wide • Critical thinking and analysis is required School of Social Work

17. My tips for engagement • Minimize humor, which requires a lot of context and can be misunderstood. • Consider everything you post. • Would I be able to defend this message six months from now? • Would I remember what I was talking about? • Follow and engage with people who promote your interests and curiosity. • You can block whomever you wish. School of Social Work

18. Brief summary of ethics, standards • Social workers should be knowledgeable and aware of how they use platforms like Twitter to avoid role confusion or boundary crossing. • In direct practice, a standard for social media use should be crafted and shared with clients. • Administrators and advisors should have an updated policy for social media use that they share with employees. School of Social Work

19. References • Belluomini, Ellen (2018), The future of social work series: Part I – reacting to change or innovating the change? https://socialworksdigitaldivide.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-future-of-social-work-series-part-i.html • Coyle, S. (2017). Teaching with technology in social work education. Social Work Today, 17(2), 14. https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/032117p14.shtml • Hitchcock L., Sage, M., Smyth, N. (2017, March 15). Using technology for life-long learning in social work: Professional learning networks. https://www.laureliversonhitchcock.org/2017/09/15/using-technology-for-life-long-learning-in-social-work-professional-learning-networks/ • NASW, ASWB, CSWE & CSWA Standards for Technology in Social Work Practice (2017). https://www.socialworkers.org/includes/newIncludes/homepage/PRA-BRO-33617.TechStandards_FINAL_POSTING.pdf School of Social Work