Unfriending Fire: Navigating and Renegotiating Social Media in Post-Election America
Tuesday, 11/26 7-8:30 PM ET on Zoom
The recent election is causing many to rethink how and with who we engage with on social media. For others it may be the inflection point where we finally make decisions about using it. Is it okay to unfriend people? Should we leave platforms which seem peopled by hostile others? Or should we stay, try to make a difference and preserve social groups which have been fragmenting. If we do leave, where do we go, and how do we take leave of a community? How do we choose to deal with the polarities, and how do we help our patients and clients make sense of it? Is choosing to leave social media an act of isolation or privilege, self-protection or neurotic stance?
This panel brings together several thought leaders in social work who have been engaged with and thinking about social media since its inception. We’ll talk about how to leverage different groups relative privilege to determine what if any social media platforms are most useful. The panel will discuss their experience using and migrating different social media platforms. We’ll discuss how to evaluate elements of risk and reward for social media participation such as convenience, surveillance and doxxing. Other topics will include the challenges of maintaining online solidarity in the face of white fragility, how and when to leave or join a social platform, and why there may be no one right answer to this. We’ll close with some suggestions on how to help clients and patients discern how and if to engage in social media, set boundaries and expectations in their communities, and reduce harm while increasing liberatory relationships.
To register for this webinar, which will not be recorded, please go to https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WOH0coE8TP2hwSTMviTDxA
Host:
Mike Langlois, LICSW is currently a Teaching Associate in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, where he supervises interns and clinicians. He has served on the Massachusetts Commission for LGBTQ Youth. Mike serves as a resource on digital literacy & social justice issues such as dismantling racism, LGBTQIA awareness & safety, disability awareness, and non-traditional families. He has served in an advisory capacity to NASW on youth suicide prevention. Mike is a member of APsaA and APA’s Division 39 as well as the Board of Psychoanalysis for Social Responsibility.
Panelists:
Stephen Cummings, MSW is a clinical associate professor with over 20 years of practice in social service fields, including 10 years as a licensed social worker in a Trauma I level hospital setting. His areas of interest include ethical use of technology in social work practice, clinical supervision, open educational resources, and best practices for virtual faculty mentoring.
Dr. Gina Griffin, DSW, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In 2012, she completed her Master of Social Work at University of South Florida. And in 2021, she completed her DSW at the University of Southern California. She has spent the past decade working with trauma survivors. She is trained in evidence-based practices such as Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy, and also does group work. Additionally, Gina is very passionate about writing about social work. Her areas of interest are social work, technology, research, and data justice.
Dr. Nancy J. Smyth is professor, former dean, and licensed clinical social work at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. She’s focused on social work and technology in virtual communities for 25+ years. Recently, she’s been exploring how to lead, live, and work in this “whitewater rapids” polycrisis epoch, especially how to create “refugia” spaces where people can connect, create, process challenges, and focus on personal and communal growth amid societal uncertainty and upheaval.