Opinion:
OPINION: Professionals of preventive health may use social media to build a professional image, and at the same time consciously or unconsciously be shaped by the content they share.
More and more people are relying on social
media for health advice. Consequently, the people creating health-promoting
content hold a growing responsibility for the information shared. This
responsibility extends beyond their audience, as it pertains to their entire
profession.
Scepticism is likely on the rise due to all
the self-proclaimed experts present on various social media platforms. With every
action that online health professionals take they must therefore safeguard the
integrity of their field.
With every action that online health professionals take they must safeguard the integrity of their field.
Professionals of preventive health who are
creating content on social media may consciously or unconsciously be shaped by
the content they share. We may ask: how much is social media linked to their
professional identity and in what way?
And even further, is there a two-way relationship
wherein these individuals may simultaneously use social media to build a
professional image?
The role professionals of preventive health
fields play in society is ever expanding as their voices are being magnified
with social media. Should we be exploring how to leverage the role of social
media in educating and forming future health professionals?
Building a professional identity through
social media
Identity may be defined as an individual’s
organised constellation of traits, attitudes, self-representations, and social
roles. With the advent of social media, and all it offers in terms of a
person’s ability to share different aspects of themselves, there has been a
revitalisation of research around identity.
In the context of professional identity, where
an individual showcases their self-concept, and sense of belonging within a
specific professional community, social media has greatly aided in this aspect
of self-representation.
The fields of preventive medicine and
public health share several objectives, including promoting general health, and preventing disease. When looking at the
link between preventive health fields and social media, promotion is an
important aspect.
Is posting on social media for the benefit of the audience, or is it about establishing themselves as professionals?
One example of health promotion is the
recent debate in Norway surrounding nutritionists who have been leveraging
their platforms to promote healthy baby food. However, the products and recipes
they promote might not provide babies with all the iron and other nutrients
they need.
This raises several questions. When a
professional nutritionist posts on social media, thereby becoming a content
creator, does he or she post solely for the benefit of the audience, or is it
about establishing themselves as professional nutritionists?
Online health and fitness communities
The same questions would go to
professionals within other preventive health fields. Look at mental health
professionals, for instance. According to Triplett, there is a growing number
of mental health professionals who use social media to share informative
content with a broader public.
Information that would traditionally be
communicated in a therapeutic setting is thus distributed through social
networking platforms. Is this about painting a picture of themselves as
professionals in the field?
Trainers and physical education instructors
are no strangers to this social media takeover, either. In a study by Raggatt and
others, half of the participants (a total of 180) indicated that they
themselves are interested in learning about health and fitness through online
communities.
In other words, social networking platforms
have helped in shaping them as professional trainers.
Social media use may impact future professional identity
On the one hand, professional identity
construction is considered to always be under development. On the other hand,
social media has a growing importance in the construction of professional
identities as it offers places where individuals showcase their private lives as
well as their professional experiences.
Thus, if social media is becoming more
important in constructing identities, could we foresee how professions would be
changing in the next years? And how can
we prepare for that change?
References:
- Ali, A. and D. L. Katz (2015).
“Disease Prevention and Health Promotion How Integrative Medicine
Fits.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 49(5):
S230-S240. - Andrews, J. C., et al. (2017).
“Digital Identity and Social Media.” Journal of Interactive Media
in Education(1). - Jiang, S. Y. and C. F. Ning (2022).
“Interactive communication in the process of physical education: are
social media contributing to the improvement of physical training
performance.” Universal Access in the Information Society. - Kasperiuniene, J. and V. Zydziunaite
(2019). “A Systematic Literature Review on Professional Identity
Construction in Social Media.” Sage Open 9(1). - Pretorius, C., et al. (2022).
“Mental health professionals as influencers on TikTok and Instagram: What
role do they play in mental health literacy and help-seeking?” Internet
Interventions-the Application of Information Technology in Mental and
Behavioural Health 30.
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