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Online social networking sites are a popular way to share interests, build and maintain relationships and stay more connected to the world. Tools that were not available a few years ago are now used on a daily basis. Social networking has been likened to a digital tattoo. Both Universities and Healthcare Institutions have concerns about the potential implications that students, educators and practitioners may face when using the media. The main concerns are related to patient protection by both qualified and student healthcare workers. This article outlines the guidelines put in place to avoid any mistakes made on SNS and how to maintain an e-professional aura whilst using SNS. Examples of good and bad social networking by students and practitioners are given. How the implementation of recently introduced guidelines impacts on the use of SNS in dentistry requires further research.
Clinical Relevance: Social networking has become part of everyday life and yet it can create problems for dental healthcare professionals as they attempt to accommodate both personal and professional ‘aura’ in the medium.
Article
Social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, LinkedIn, etc are integrated into everyday life.1 Part of their appeal is that they are both intriguing and addictive because users have the power to influence their personal connections and relationships with other people. They can then watch connections take place between others and also become any character they wish by simply creating a profile. The versatility extends to the ability to create multiple identities online, within a few minutes.2 Not only can SNS users access unlimited information on the internet, but they can also produce similar material themselves which can be shared globally with people in an instant.3 However, the drawback is that, once it is posted, it is often not possible to retract it. Some commentators have likened this to digital tattoos. In this analogy, SNS may hold intimate comments, be intriguing to view but sometimes lead to serious mistakes which, like a tattoo, cannot be removed.4
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