S1E5 - ETHICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA: PERKS AND PITFALLS

Learning Objectives

1. Evaluate the dual role of social media platforms as vital vehicles for public behavioral science dissemination and as high-risk environments for potential professional boundary violations.

2. Describe proactive strategies to navigate and mitigate the risks of establishing unintentional multiple relationships or blurred professional-personal lines across diverse online networking channels.

3. Describe the parameters of what constitutes a breach of client privacy, evaluating how casual descriptions or media of clinical scenarios can violate confidentiality mandates even without explicit identifier disclosure.

4. Evaluate the clinical and ethical risks associated with crowdsourcing intervention protocols or offering specific behavioral advice regarding unassessed individuals in public or semi-private online communities.

5. Differentiate between empirical behavior-analytic reporting with subjective self-promotion or non-empirical endorsements to maintain scientific integrity across consumer-facing public platforms.

6. Describe institutional policies and workforce standards that establish clear operational boundaries for employee behavior on digital media while safeguarding organizational and consumer privacy.