I’ll be honest, this week’s readings made me uncomfortable, and I think that’s exactly what they were supposed to do.

As a new supervisor in a community-based behavioral health program, I’ve learned pretty quickly that technology is woven into almost everything I do. My day revolves around Teams messages, emails, phone calls, Avatar documentation, and Zendesk tickets. Sometimes it feels like I’m constantly connected, and if I’m being honest, I have found myself wondering whether that’s a good thing.

The part of Reamer’s Social Work Boundary Issues in the Digital Age that stayed with me wasn’t social media or even technology itself. It was the question of boundaries. More specifically, when does being available to help clients and support my team cross the line into being too available?

Community-based work doesn’t always happen between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. I’ve been involved in situations where a client was hospitalized because of unsafe living conditions or needed emergency housing after repeated failed inspections. Those moments don’t fit neatly into business hours. When something like that happens, my first instinct is to respond because someone is depending on us. That’s where I found myself agreeing with Reamer, while also feeling a little conflicted.

I agree that boundaries protect both the client and the social worker. They help prevent burnout, reduce confusion, and maintain professional relationships. At the same time, I think the reality of community-based practice is a little messier than the article can fully capture. There are times when compassion requires flexibility. The challenge is figuring out how to respond without creating an expectation that I or my team are available every hour of every day.

If I had to explain my position to a client today, I think I would say something like this: “I care about what you’re going through, and I want you to know I’m here to support you. At the same time, part of providing good care means making sure I can continue showing up for you tomorrow, next week, and next month. That means having healthy boundaries while also making sure you know who to contact during an emergency.” Before reading Reamer, I probably wouldn’t have thought about that explanation so carefully.

Haidt’s work made me think about something different. While his research focuses on adolescents, I kept thinking about the young women and young mothers I hope to work with after I earn my MSW. Social media isn’t just influencing teenagers; it’s influencing entire families. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook shape how people compare themselves to others, where they get information, and sometimes even how they define what a “good parent” or a “successful life” looks like.

Even in my current role working with adults in supportive housing, I’ve seen how quickly misinformation spreads through social media and Facebook groups. Clients often rely on information they find online, and sometimes that information creates more confusion than clarity. I’ve also seen how technology can make people feel connected while they are actually becoming more isolated. Reading Haidt gave me language for something I had noticed but hadn’t really put into words before.

That said, I don’t think technology is the enemy. It has helped connect people to resources, mental health services, housing information, and support systems they might not have accessed otherwise. Where I think Haidt’s argument becomes more complicated is that not every person or every community uses technology in the same way. As social workers, we can’t assume every client’s experience with social media is harmful. We have to stay curious, ask questions, and understand how technology fits into each person’s life before making assumptions.

If there’s one thing I took away from this week’s readings, it’s that technology isn’t replacing relationships, it is changing them. Whether it’s deciding when to answer a late-night message or helping a future client navigate the pressures of social media, the ethical questions don’t come with easy answers. As I continue growing into this profession, I hope I never become so comfortable with technology that I stop thinking critically about how it affects the people I’m here to serve. For me, that’s where ethical practice begins.