Hello all,
I am nearing the end of my final year studies in the UK. I am currenlty conducting exploratory research into the effect social media usage has upon the occupational balance of University students. As we all know the use of social media is soaring and is now utilised as a main method of communication.
Unsurprisingly there is a lacking Ocupational Therapy evidence base surrouding the impact social media can have upon the occupational balance of the general population. Upon completion of this research I aim to make recommendations for Occupational Therapists to look at their current practice - can service users utilise social media to faciliatte them in achieving their occupational balance or are they using social media excessively resulting in addiction. We have a duty to ensure practive is as current as possible, therefore should Occupational Therapists be exploring the effect social media has amongst service users in the technologically advanced world we live in today. There may also be scope for us to lead societal change by developing a Occupational Therapy role to provide education surrounding the benefits associated with social media (supporting people to achieve an occupational balance), in addition to educating the dark occupations that can arise (such as addiction) from excessive social media usage.
I would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts- also if you're aware of any literature surrounding this topic I would love to hear from you. Also those who are in current practice, do you do this already (if so how is this working for you) or if not - do you think this would be beneficial to service users?
Kind regards,
Gemma Townsend.
Great advice Tisha, thanks for pointing Gemma in the direction of #OTalk! :)
Hi Gemma.
You may already be aware but I thought I would mention it. At the end of January one of the #OTalk Twitter chat topics was on professional boundaries. A lot of these discussions were based on both professionals and service users accessing social media, particularly to engage with one another on this platform, which led to discussions around different perceptions and how this is managed. Maybe looking through the transcript would be of some help/interest.
All the best,
Tisha.
Hi there Gemma,
I believe one of my fellow students at UWE Bristol is conducting dissertation research related to this topic. Her title is 'The effect of media on teenage well-being' - so possibly more general, but still relevant. Perhaps you two could get in touch? Contact me or The OT Hub on Facebook and I could put you in touch with her!
Jamie.
Hi there Gemma,
Thanks for getting in touch and engaging in the Hub's Forum.
This is a highly current/relevant topic - and one some of our team have a strong association with! Social media's benefits and utility versus its addictive potential is a hard one to call - but it's likely that everyone will have a slightly different experience and take on this subject.
We'll share your Q&A Forum question on our social media today (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), to remind Members to come over and help you out! We'll remove your first name in our posting, to maintain Member confidentiality to non-members.
All the best,
The OT Hub Team
hubteam@theOThub.com