Social media can be particularly helpful in building connections with colleagues and maintaining relationships with friends and family; however, as a result, the boundary between personal and professional matters can become increasingly blurry. Due to social work's professional standards and the obligation to follow the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, social workers need to continually assess the ethical implications/complications of social media use, not only as practicing social workers but in the training of social work students. Students are expected to be aware of policies related to the use of social media while in their field placement.

Please see the Office of Field Education's information on Guidelines for Ethical Use of Social Media: https://ssw.umich.edu/my-ssw/field-education-forms/current-students/social-media