More and more of us are using social media sites in our daily lives; on our computers, smartphones and i-pad or tablet devices; ‘connecting’ with the world is just a quick tap or finger swipe away.
We use Facebook to reacquaint ourselves with old friends and foes, to share with new ones and to keep up-to-date with family and social events; we update our friends on our choice of breakfast pastry and the day’s events in a short but succinct 140 characters on Twitter. We may even post up images and videos to the likes of You Tube, Flickr and Pinterest. Human beings live and work in communities, you may not realise it when watching the average group of toddlers at play, but as a species; we love to SHARE!
Using social media on a personal level is now very commonplace, but many healthcare professionals, including those involved in the aesthetic industry are also looking for a way to reach out to their patients/clients and social media seems like a great medium in which to do this. But it is? How do you mix private with professional without compromising either? Should Doctors and Nurses (and others) really be engaging with their patients/clients in a less than professional arena such as online communities? Can over familiarity in social media really damage your credibility?
