Social media is changing the way Registered Early Childhood Educators communicate in both their personal and professional lives. The Practice Note on Using Social Media looks at the risks and benefits for RECEs in using social media.
What are some of the professional benefits to using social media?
Social media can be helpful to connect with others in your profession or to find an online community of practitioners. Finding others who work in early childhood education enables you to share information and ideas, learn from diverse communities and discuss complex practice or sector issues.
Managing the risks of social media
It’s important to remember that what you post on social media can impact other aspects of your life – personal or professional. Everything you present to the world on social media can change the way individuals from your professional life view you. Your professional and personal network can see what you’re posting if your profile is open, if you have parents or other professional contacts as friends, or if someone from your network shares what you post with their own friends list. This can impact their perception and trust in you, as well as in the profession as a whole.
Tip: Review the “Posting social media” scenario within the Standards in Practice section of our website.
Should I post this?
There are several resources that can help you determine whether or not to post something on social media, whether it’s a blog post, a status update, a tweet, a story or a comment on someone else’s content.
This helpful checklist reminds you of what you should consider before posting, and what to look for when reviewing content you’ve previously posted:
A key source of guidance is Standard VI from the Code of Ethics and Standards and Practice which outlines your obligation as an RECE to respect confidentiality and privacy of information.
Other helpful resources include the Practice Guideline on Dual Relationships and the Scenario Do You Really Know Who Your Friends Are? You can also watch the College’s #StandardsMatter V webinar: Professional Boundaries, Dual Relationships and Conflicts of Interest. These resources, along with the Practice Note on Social Media, can help you consider what to post online.
Ultimately, you want to ensure that what you’re putting online doesn’t have a negative impact on how others see you as a professional.
