A Snapshot of Child Psychologists’ Social Media Activity: Professional and Ethical Practice Implications and Recommendations

In the face of the ever-growing popularity of social media, psychologists continually encounter new dilemmas regarding our ethical and professional principles. Negotiating the balance between the intrinsically public nature of social media participation and the highly private nature of the therapeutic relationship can be a challenge. Psychologists working with children and adolescents are of particular interest, given both the popularity of social media among children and teens and the specific treatment concerns on which clinical work often focuses. The authors surveyed 246 psychologists and psychologists-in-training regarding their own blogging and social networking practices, as well as their behavior around their clients’ online presence. A majority of respondents indicated that they participate in some form of social media and a lesser, though sizable, percentage reported viewing information about their clients online. Many respondents indicated that they have encountered concerning material on their clients’ social media pages, and there does not appear to be a clear consensus about how psychologists handle matters of Internet safety and privacy with their underage clients. Based on the responses to this survey, a series of considerations and guidelines for our professional practice are proposed, and psychologists are encouraged to engage in thoughtful self-reflection as they establish their own policies regarding these matters.