Comments on: Social Networks May Blur Professional Boundaries

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:41:24 +0000

I think this is a good article. I think that psychologist and other mental health professionals need to have boundaries when it comes to their clients.

By: Joan

Joan — Mon, 26 May 2008 01:08:44 +0000

Though I am not familiar with the many social networks on line, I have some thoughts on this: often the boundaries in question are already implicit within the professions, organizations, & the public trusts we have chosen. There are times we might have to sacrifice some freedoms of association and expression in order to perform our jobs and tasks/duties effectively and ethocally. I’m suggesting that maybe we should consider what restrictions and/or boundaries we are willing to accept before we choose our associations.

By: Joan

Joan — Mon, 26 May 2008 01:08:35 +0000

By: Steph

Steph — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:59:50 +0000

It’s important to remember that sometimes these friend requests get sent out accidentally. If you check the wrong box when joining one of these sites, they automatically send requests to everyone in your contact list.

By: Matt Brodhead

Matt Brodhead — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:30:25 +0000

This is a great article that touches an important subject. I’m constantly worried about this, and I made some comments on my Web site about how difficult this can be, especially for a graduate student who supervises undergraduates around their same age. You talk in terms of “Drs” and “patients” but the overtones are applicable everywhere.

By: Timo W

Timo W — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:03:34 +0000

That’s an interesting topic! “Friend requests” are just one of many faces of psychologists online, I know several therapists who use internet social websites, forums, as I imagine there are some that have internet blogs, last.fm sites, Picassa web photo albums, YouTube profiles etc. – like everyone else. Some time ago I started wondering about ethical aspects of that – let us imagine coincidentally meeting our therapist arguing on internet forum about the best Star Wars episode… It’d be a little bit weird – at least. But I suppose that happens because therapists are humans – line everyone else – and use web as everyone else. Are there any ethical guidelines for that? Nope. Isn’t it a problem worth considering?