All 8 risk zones highlight an aera of concern for our work as social workers and the impact of technology. The risk zones that I chose to highlight were Risk Zone 2, Risk Zone 3, Risk Zone 4 and Risk Zone 7
Risk Zone 2- Addiction and the Dopamine Economy- In Module 4 we reviewed the CHT Social Media link. The CHT explored social media’s impact the users mental health. The CHT highlighted that social media creators intentionally make their sites addictive to increase our use. The Youtube clip “Your Brain on Social Media” explored our brains respond to the dopamine that social media provides and how our dopaime response changes with continued social media use. It maybe helpful to begin evaluating clients screen time to understand their mental health challenges. Not including social media use in our assessment could provide impartial diganostic information and poor client outcomes.
Risk Zone 3 Economic & Assest Inequalities- The Digital Divide by Sanders et al explained that connecting to reliable internet is a priviledge and that the inability to connect and access information can have harmful effects on a person’s overall well being. The divide continues to widen as social injustices continue and technology advances. Tech waits for no man. The Digital Transformation in Social Work: Intergrating Technology for Enhanced Practice, Outreach and Education states that social work efficency increased by implementing technology and digital tools overall. To meet client needs we need to understand how and if they can connect to the internet and how their demographic profile may present challenges. Educating clients and providing them with resources will need to remain a critical part of our work. It would be unethical to instruct a client to review digital resources knowing they did not have technology to do so.
Risk Zone 4 Machine Ethics and Algorithmic Biases- The CHT mission is to hold tech creators accountable for the way they develop apps and other technology. Tech developers must be willing to acknowledge their own biases and how they influence their creations. There was a snipet of from the surgeon general in PD 6 that highlighted how social media is bad for children this is impart to how the apps are created. As SW it maybe helpful to provide our clients with education to understand how these apps really work and the impact they can have on a person’s relationship and wellbeing.
Risk Zone 7- Implicit Trust and User Understanding- As a society we have allowed our devices,apps and AI to become intergal parts of lives. We trust that our devices and tech will work as advertised without any issues. This implicit trust and understanding has made us more vulnerable. In our PD 6 assignment we discussed how persons were using AI as companion and how AI had the ability to take advantage of someone’s mental health crisis without any consequence. There were screenshots from persons who had used AI that were deeply concerning. The users were under the impression that the AI chatbot was safe. AI has the ability to go rouge and encourage harm. AI creators will need to develop improve safe gaurds for their tools. The goverment will also need to developers accountable for their tools. As a society we may need to read the user agreements and privacy updates before we just agree to them. We could literally be signing away our lives.
Blog Post 6
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Hiya!!
I really liked how you tied everything together and connected it back to social work practice. Your point about Risk Zone 2 really stood out, especially the part about assessing screen time during intake. That’s such a simple but important piece that could easily get overlooked when we’re trying to understand a client’s mental health. I also thought your take on Risk Zone 3 was spot-on. The digital divide is something we don’t talk about enough, and I agree, it’s unethical to assign digital resources if clients don’t even have access to the internet. You also made a good point about Risk Zone 7 and how trusting AI too much can be risky. It’s definitely something we’ll need to keep in mind as tech becomes more integrated into our field.
Hey, your discussion of the four risk zones clearly shows how deeply technology intersects with social work practice, and I appreciate how you tied each zone back to real implications for clients. I agree that Risk Zone 2 is especially important, because the intentional design of addictive platforms can significantly affect mental health, and without assessing screen time we may miss key contributors to a client’s symptoms. Your points on Risk Zone 3 also highlight an essential issue. Technology can improve service delivery, but only when clients actually have access to it, making it critical for social workers to be aware of digital inequalities and avoid unintentionally creating barriers. In Risk Zone 4, you’re right that algorithmic biases can shape client experiences in ways they may not recognize, and providing education about how these systems operate can empower clients to make more informed choices. Finally, your explanation of Risk Zone 7 underscores how easily people place trust in technology without understanding its limitations or risks, especially when it comes to AI and mental health support. Overall, your reflections reinforce the need for social workers to stay informed about technological risks while advocating for ethical design and equitable access.