Social Media and the AOD sector

Transcription

1 Social Media and the AOD sector Issued October 2012 This discussion paper will outline the key issues for AOD treatment agencies intending on developing internal policies relating to the use of social media. It will discuss a number of considerations for using social media in the AOD sector, both for work related purposes as well as personal use for both during and after work hours. VAADA believes that social media provides a number of opportunities for the AOD sector, including: Providing AOD information to the public; Providing another means of communication with clients; The enhancement of formal and informal workforce development activities and training; and As a vehicle for consultation and the fostering of a dialogue, thus enhancing and facilitating the involvement of a range of stakeholders. Introduction Social media has emerged as a significant means of communication within the past decade, both within work and personal settings, and permeating exponentially through an increasing number of demographics. Currently, users are roughly described as natives or migrants. Those (often younger) people who have grown up using social media are natives; their milieu is one where social media is a primary means of networking within social circles. Older populations, who have transitioned to regular use of social media (on top of traditional means of communication such as , phone and fax) are described as social migrants. The AOD treatment sector as well as AOD treatment service users comprise of both social media migrants and natives. It is expected that the AOD workforce of the future will comprise of more natives and thus social media will become more relevant in communications. Due to its networking potential and characterisation as a recreational tool, there are a range of views throughout organisations as to the validity of social media adding value to core business. Agency concerns regarding social media include: How to maintain control of organisational social media accounts which have the potential to misrepresent the organisation s view point; The potential for mistakes or misinterpretations of communications which may damage the reputation of the organisation; Position Discussion Paper Paper: 1: Alcohol Social Media advertising, and the marketing AOD sector and promotion Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA)

2 The potential permanency of mistakes; The blurring of work and personal settings; Resources required to monitor, supervise or moderate content; The threat of third parties uploading information about agency employees on public sites which creates a perception of impropriety towards the agency (for instance, third parties uploading compromising photos of known agency employees on public sites); The potential to facilitate a breach of professional boundaries between staff and service users; and Significant OH&S concerns including unsupervised interaction with service users, which may create difficulties in maintaining case notes and may create a perception of blurred professional relationships. As such many organisations have opted to limit or prohibit access to social media. However the proliferation of social media has resulted in many organisations opting to explore means of using social media to, amongst other things: enhance their business; access and disseminate information; enhance access to and engagement with their service; book appointments; maintain links with staff alumni; develop pathways to facilitate post treatment aftercare; engage in two way conversations with a wide range of individuals; and foster brand awareness. Mark Roberts (2011) highlights the benefits of social media in times of crisis, such as natural disasters and notes an increasing level of use amongst journalists. Social media has the potential to provide the AOD treatment sector with a relevant means of communicating with their clients, communities and stakeholders as well as sharing training and information with other organisations. Censorship of social media could under some circumstances have adverse consequences in relation to harm reduction messages and or information campaigns. However, unregulated social media use could result in harm for the agency, employees and service users. Therefore, if appropriately regulated and managed, social media has the potential to influence and improve service provision. What is social media? Social media is a term commonly given to websites and online tools which allow users to interact with each other by sharing information, opinions, knowledge and interests. Social media facilitates the development of online communities and networks and can enable engagement with and draw out participation from a range of individuals, agencies and communities. Social media may include but is not limited to podcasts, wikis, message boards, social networking sites (such as Facebook) and content sharing websites (such as YouTube). The Department of Human Services (2011) and Department of Health and Ageing (2011) provide a clear, useful and encompassing definition of the range of social media mediums. There are a number of computer/mobile phone software programs which have been used innovatively by treatment services and government to provide additional AOD treatment, screening and assessment for individuals (see Department of Health and Ageing 2011a and the Australian Drug Foundation 2011). Such 2

3 applications are swamped by the wide array of programs which purport to offer AOD related interventions but are not supported in evidence, as well as those which encourage AOD misuse (Cohn, Hunter Reel, Hagman and Mitchell 2011:2212). Clearly this is an emerging field which the AOD treatment sector should maintain a watching brief. Using social media at work Social media is ubiquitous in most office environments and has both recreational and business functionality. Even if staff cannot access social media through their workplace computers, many have mobile phones which enable access. It is therefore very difficult to effectively prohibit social media use. Social media can incur a range of benefits for agencies if used appropriately and can provide a useful recreational outlet for staff during breaks. Issues for consideration Use of social media in the workplace should be regulated; Agencies should warn staff of the risks of third parties uploading content featuring staff members which represents the agency in an adverse manner; and AOD treatment organisations should develop policies outlining the appropriate usage of social media which sets necessary boundaries. Social media and business functionality A key consideration in the use of social media in the workplace is that the posts and messages uploaded into most media forums are public and can be viewed by audiences external to the workplace and who are unknown to the author. They can be relayed to other individuals without consent from the author. It is therefore important that any organisational messages are consistent with the aims of the agency and that there are procedures in place to ensure that only approved content is uploaded and published. Some considerations for posting work related information on social media include the following (see Department of Human Services 2011 and Moreland Hall 2011): Ensure that you have permission from the appropriate authority; Ensure that it is the correct medium some types of social media may be more suited to particular messaging than others; Consider the audience; content should not be posted which others are likely to find offensive (ie, is not racist, sexist, defamatory etc); Use your own identity, unless you have express permission to use the agency account or avatar; Ensure that the information is not confidential and that, in the case where you are disclosing new information, you have express permission to do so; Ensure that employees comment on areas which are within their scope of expertise; and Consider the impact of the post on the agency s reputation; 3

4 Recreational use of social media The number of individuals regularly using social media is rapidly expanding. According to the Department of Human Services (2012) individuals on average utilise social media for approximately 20 hours per month. The rising prevalence of social media clearly has an impact upon the workplace. However, some research indicates that sensible recreational use of social media by employees during work hours increases productivity by nine per cent (Coker 2011:245). This is related to social media being used during break times allowing workers to re focus on their work. Irrespective of ones views or any evidence, it is likely that recreational use of social media will continue to encroach upon the work hours and thus such use should be mapped out in appropriate and cogent agency policy. If employees are using social media in their recreational time to discuss work related issues, considerations in a similar vein to that discussed above are recommended. However, even if workers are not posting work related content on social media sites, is likely that there may (inadvertently) be identifying information indicating ones profession and place of employment. Issues for consideration It is important that recreational use of social media for non work related content is canvassed in agency policy as it still may reflect upon the agency; Employees should be made aware that their recreational use of social media both within and external to work hours may have ramifications on their employment; Employees should not post any material which may result in their place of employment coming under disrepute. Conclusion Social media is a growing phenomenon and can provide a highly effective means of delivering a range of benefits for AOD agencies. It can provide an additional means of establishing contact with clients, facilitate the sharing of information, communicate with government, media and other service sectors and assist with necessary administration tasks such as booking appointments. Being an additional means of communication, there are capacity considerations, as maximising the benefits of social media requires ongoing use and thus require the allocation of staff time to maintain. There are also a number of risks, such as misinformation being posted (reliability of information), employees and others misusing social media forums, with an over reliance on such means of communication potentially deterring some clients from accessing services. 4

5 References Australian Drug Foundation 2011, New Social Technologies in Alcohol and Drug Prevention, Policy Talk December 2011, [online], accessed 3 April 2012, advocacy/policytalk december Cohn AM, Hunter Reel B, Hagman T and Mitchell J (2011), Promoting behaviour change from alcohol use through mobile technology: the future ecological momentary assessment, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Vol 35, No. 12, pp Coker B. (2011), Freedom to surf: the positive effects of workplace internet leisure browsing, New Technology, Work and Employment, Vol. 26, No.3, pp Department of Health and Ageing 2011, Social Media Australian Government, [online] accessed 18 January media channels Department of Health and Ageing 2011a, National Drugs Campaign, Australian Government, [online] accessed 3 April 2012, 29jun11 app Department of Human Services 2011, Social media policy for employees, Victorian Government, [online] accessed 18 January data/assets/pdf_file/0009/662976/dhssocialmediapolicyforemployees_ pdf Department of Human Services 2012, DHS social media policy for employees [online] accessed 18 January Moreland Hall 2011, Social Media Policy Melbourne. Roberts, M. (2011) Using Social Media for Health Care Corporate Wellness Magazine [Online] social media for health care.html Disclaimer While efforts have been made to incorporate and represent the views of our member agencies, the position and recommendations presented in this Paper are those of VAADA. 5