Part 1 — Through the Reamer Lens
I chose to read Reamer’s Social Work Boundary Issues in the Digital Age (2024). The one ethical tension that made me most uncomfortable was practitioners developing sexual relationships with their clients. It is troubling to imagine a professional grooming a client who has come to them seeking assistance.
During my placement in the spring semester, I spent time each week at the VA (Veterans Affairs) office, where I encountered many men seeking housing assistance. I would often walk clients down, ensuring they knew how to exit the building. While I was alone in the elevator, a younger male client asked me if I had a boyfriend. In response, I informed him that I was at work and I didn’t discuss my personal life with clients. He was receptive to this response, but I can see how easily a professional encounter can cross boundaries. For women, it can become a habit, as a result of other social encounters, to smile and politely decline advances, but in the moment, that can also lead to unintentionally crossing a boundary.
I did not disagree with Reamer regarding this ethical tension. I understand how it can start slowly, as Reamer described, as a practitioner crosses more and more boundaries, they can begin to become comfortable with the associated risks. I believe that we can’t be lax regarding sexual boundaries with clients. If I had to explain my ethical position to a client, I would inform them that client respect and safety, including physical and mental health, are top priorities. Developing a sexual relationship would not only be completely unprofessional but also an abuse of my position and power. Crossing that boundary goes against all my reasons for becoming a social worker, and it is not something I ever plan to support or participate in.
Part 2 — Haidt in the Room with Your Clients
Although Haidt’s and Rausch’s evidence focuses on adolescents, I believe the lessons and values can still be translated across other populations and settings. Issues such as depression, sleep disruption, and comparison can all show up when working with adults in other settings as well. Although adults have already surpassed puberty, they are still vulnerable in other ways, which can be exploited through social media and technology. I’m interested in working with families facing homelessness and individuals in recovery.
For families experiencing housing insecurity, I imagine that strong attachments and communicative relationships between family members are important. Haidt discussed how technology can inhibit the development of attachment between children and parents. This is still relevant in a family with older children or adults because when family members are so engaged with their screens, it can affect how they support one another and co-regulate. Experiencing homelessness is a traumatic experience, which can lead to depression and anxiety as well. “Doomscrolling” can also expose us to those same feelings as Haidt and Rausch show us. When individuals utilize social media platforms, it can be easy to see others flaunt their wealth, including expensive belongings and extravagant homes. For example, Logan Paul is extremely popular on YouTube, having grown even more popular for his flashy style in boxing. He is not afraid to show off what he has, including cars and his home. Even for adults, it is understandable that this may cause cognitive dissonance; it’s hard to look away, but it’s also hard to accept your reality as it is, given how different it is. One may ask, how can one person have so much, while others have so little?
For individuals in recovery or receiving substance abuse services, technology can be a tool for coping but can also represent a trigger. The evidence makes it clear that there are addictive properties of social media, encouraging users to engage repeatedly, becoming trapped in a loop. Not only can social media expose these individuals to triggering scenarios or environments, but it can also mimic some of the same cravings and withdrawal symptoms of addiction. However, I do think that Haidt’s and Rausch’s arguments can be complicated because social media can also represent a lifeline during individuals’ lowest points. Having sat in an NA meeting for my substance abuse course, it is understandable why these meetings held through technology were so important.
The same ethical tension also made me uncomfortable (though I chose to write about another one). While I knew it did happen it is always upsetting to hear of social workers (or any other professional) taking advantage of a person going through great emotional toil and trauma and using that vulnerability to groom a relationship. However I also see how this could happen unintentionally or even from unwanted advances from clients themselves which is why I think it is important to beware of these ethical issues, even if they may be uncomfortable to talk about. Knowing they can happen and how allows the social worker to be aware and vigilante so they do not find themselves crossing boundaries or in compromising situations.
Great post! I agree that social media can be both harmful and beneficial at the same time. It can contribute to depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges by exposing individuals to constant comparison, unrealistic expectations, or triggering content.
At the same time, it can also serve as a source of recovery by providing coping strategies, opportunities for journaling and self-expression, supportive online communities, and resources that help people stay focused on their goals. I think the key is helping clients develop healthy boundaries with technology so they can benefit from its positive aspects while minimizing the negative effects.
I was curious about one thing you mentioned. Since social media can be both a trigger and a lifeline for individuals in recovery, how do you think social workers can help clients find a healthy balance between using it for support and avoiding the risks that come with it? Also, what are some ways your potential clients can stay on the positive side of technology and social media without becoming easily triggered or emotionally overwhelmed?
Hello!
I also read the same article, and I think you brought up a great point. It can be very easy for professional boundaries to become blurred. At my job, I have had patients make inappropriate comments or ask personal questions. Sometimes I think they mistake my kindness for something else, and needing to redirect those comments is very important. It is important to set clear boundaries while still treating clients with empathy and respect. I also liked your point about how these situations often start with small boundary crossings rather than one major decision. It really shows why social workers have to be mindful of maintaining boundaries from the very beginning. I also find it upsetting that there are professionals who take advantage of the trust and vulnerability of the people they are supposed to help. It is a reminder of how important ethics and accountability are in our profession.