Part One – Through the Reamer Lens
One of the ethical issues that made me the most uncomfortable was the idea of clients finding or adding social workers on personal social media. The thought of clients accessing my personal life outside of our professional relationship makes me uncomfortable because it blurs boundaries that should remain clear. I don’t want clients thinking access to me outside of services is part of the support I provide, and I believe those boundaries protect both the client and the social worker. I first encountered this during my undergraduate internship with Back on My Feet Atlanta. That experience shaped the way I approach client interactions and reinforced that boundaries should be established from the very beginning of the helping relationship. Working primarily with the male population, I was consistently asked if clients could tag me on social media, whether I was in a relationship, and even if social workers were allowed to date clients. I felt those questions were inappropriate because they shifted the focus away from the client’s needs and toward my personal life. I responded by explaining that my personal life was not something I shared with clients and redirected the conversation back to the reason we were meeting. Since then, while working in healthcare, I’ve continued seeing how easy it is for people to blur professional boundaries through technology. Patients sometimes expect immediate access or communication outside of appropriate channels, reinforcing why clear expectations should be established early.
I agree with Reamer that boundaries exist to protect both clients and professionals. They help preserve trust while allowing social workers to remain objective and focused on the client’s needs. However, I don’t believe every digital interaction is automatically unethical because the intent and context matter. Secure messaging systems, telehealth platforms, and agency-approved communication methods can strengthen access to services without compromising professional boundaries. The problem begins when communication shifts into personal spaces like Facebook or Instagram, where professional and personal identities become difficult to separate. If I had to explain my position to a client, I would simply tell them that maintaining professional boundaries protects both of us, even if that means I can’t accept friend requests or communicate through my personal social media accounts (Reamer, 2023).
Part Two – Haidt in the Room with Your Clients
Although Haidt focuses on adolescents, I think his framework also applies to maternal mental health—it just looks different. Teenagers compare themselves to their peers, while new mothers compare themselves to idealized versions of motherhood. Different population, same mechanism. I think Haidt’s argument about smartphones disrupting relationships extends beyond teenagers because social media often shapes how mothers view themselves and their parenting. Unlike adolescents seeking peer acceptance, many new mothers are searching for reassurance that they are doing everything “right.” Social media can make it appear as though everyone else is succeeding while they’re struggling, increasing feelings of guilt, anxiety, and inadequacy. At the same time, I don’t think social media is inherently harmful. For mothers who lack family support or live far from loved ones, it can become an important source of encouragement, education, and connection. I also think unrealistic expectations can affect partners and families by creating tension when one parent feels they are falling short of what they constantly see online (Haidt, 2026, 15:12).
I’ve seen this across multiple platforms. Instagram often promotes perfect postpartum bodies, beautiful nurseries, breastfeeding success stories, and “bounce back” culture. TikTok is filled with advice from influencers without professional credentials, constant parenting comparisons, and fear-based parenting content. Facebook parenting groups can become spaces filled with judgment, conflicting advice, and pressure to parent a certain way. These examples don’t just influence how mothers see themselves; they also shape how they define success, motherhood, and even their own self-worth during an already vulnerable period.
As a future maternal mental health social worker, I don’t think it would be enough to simply ask a client how she’s feeling. I would also want to understand what she’s consuming online because that content may be reinforcing unrealistic expectations or contributing to feelings of isolation. While I agree with Haidt that excessive social media use can negatively affect mental health, relationships, and self-esteem, I also think the issue becomes more complicated because social media can create meaningful communities. Mothers experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, or isolation may find validation, education, and support from others going through similar experiences. Rather than viewing social media as entirely harmful or entirely beneficial, I think social workers should help clients develop a healthier relationship with technology while recognizing both its risks and its benefits. I also think this would influence the way I work with families, couples, and support groups. In couples or family sessions, I would want to explore whether social media is creating unrealistic expectations about parenting roles or contributing to conflict between partners. In group settings, I think creating space for mothers to openly discuss the pressures they experience online could help normalize those feelings and remind them they are not alone.
References
Haidt, J. (2026, April). How screens stole childhood—and how to get it back [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_how_screens_stole_childhood_and_how_to_get_it_back
Reamer, F. G. (2023). Social work boundary issues in the digital age: Reflections of an ethics expert. Advances in Social Work, 23(2), 375–391. https://doi.org/10.18060/26358
Hey Delandria! I agree that as social workers we should help our clients build better relationships with technology. I mentioned something similar in my post. However, I’m now thinking that building better relationships with technology is not enough. The article discusses how these platforms are intentionally designed to maximize engagement and keep you addicted. Once we view it through the lens of an addiction, I think the conversation changes from educating our clients to advocating for broader systemic changes that reduce the harm of these sites rather than focusing the responsibility on the clients.