Use of social media has inceresed over the years? How can social media be used in the field of social work?
In the professional and academic practice of Social Work, social media can serve as a complementary methodological tool for the observation and analysis of contemporary social dynamics. These digital platforms provide real-time access to information flows that reflect the perceptions, discourses, conflicts, and demands of various social groups, functioning as a social barometer of public opinion and collective behavior.
From an applied social research perspective, social media facilitates the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data regarding current events, dominant discourses, cultural trends, and forms of social exclusion or resistance. This enables social work professionals to contextualize their interventions with up-to-date insights, interpret the socio-political environment through a critical lens, and integrate this information into case studies, program planning, or community-based strategies.
Furthermore, these tools support the contrast of narratives and the identification of collective imaginaries, enriching the understanding of the symbolic frameworks that shape social problems. Their use must, however, be guided by rigorous ethical considerations, respecting privacy, source reliability, and the integrity of the information utilized.
In this regard, Social Work can incorporate social media as a complementary source of situated and current knowledge, useful both in direct intervention and in the production of critical and transformative knowledge related to emerging social processes.
Maria De La Paz Ortega Lopez Thanks for participating in the discussion
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