What’s the best way to build social media capacity?

What’s the best way to build social media capacity?

by | Aug 29, 2012 | mental health, NHS stuff | 4 comments

What’s the best way of building capacity for people using and working in mental health services to capitalise on the opportunities afforded by social media?  And of course to be alert to the challenges and learn how to navigate them. There are, no doubt, many ways to do this and we’re having an experiment with a social media surgery and series of workshops in Leeds. You can find out more about the day here. Social media surgeries are an established concept and you may question why we didn’t just encourage people using and working in mental health services to participate in those.  There’s a fantastic one already up and running at The Round Foundry in Leeds. Surely that would be a more inclusive and sustainable approach? Well yes… but I’m intrigued by the idea of bringing people using and working in services together on equal terms as both experts and learners. Some of our social media surgeons and workshop facilitators bring lived experience of mental health difficulties. Some bring perspectives as workers in voluntary and statutory sector organisations. Some are volunteers and others are community journalists. We have some social media experts with little knowledge of mental health at all. We’re hoping this mix will create a co-productive space where we can share learning together and possibly develop a network of enthusiasts who will continue to connect over a mutual interest. We hope the mix of surgery space, workshops and open space for people to chat, will create opportunities for people to come together in ways which suit them. And of course we’ll be using lots of different methods...
Social media and vulnerability

Social media and vulnerability

by | Aug 14, 2012 | mental health | 8 comments

This post is inspired by a few conversations I’ve had recently on the topic of vulnerability: with @StuartSorensen about his fabulous post where he shared his work motivations arising from personal experiences of vulnerability with Brendan aka @StoryingShef from Storying Sheffield about the importance of honesty and vulnerability in creating a open story-telling culture within organisations with @Ermintrude2 in my last post where she shared the impact of social media on her confidence and wellbeing. What I was struck by with each of these conversations, was the positive response I had to another person showing vulnerability. It is a way of showing trust and of making a connection. But the risk of showing vulnerability is to experience rejection and dis-connection. What is at stake when you show vulnerability on a public social media platform? I’m going to be asking lots of different people to share personal experience and, by implication, their vulnerability in my research.  So perhaps I ought to reflect on the impact of social media for me personally. Here goes… Love/hate – sometimes I love social media and sometimes I hate it. If I feel all is right with my world then it enhances it. But if I’m feeling bad it makes me feel worse. I don’t use social media to get support – I’m not very good at showing vulnerability… even to my friends… Playing it safe – I know I avoid controversy on social media because I worry about becoming a target of trolls or flamers – how boring. I’m not quite the whole me on Twitter. Thrills – making new connections gives me a...
Is social media good for work/life balance?

Is social media good for work/life balance?

by | Aug 5, 2012 | NHS stuff | 0 comments

In my last post about online identities, one commenter alluded to the positive/negative implications of social media for work-life balance. I’m curious about what the differences and similarities might be for people using social media in relation to their work interests who are in front line and administration/management roles respectively. What does it mean for a balance between the personal and professional and the implications for our own wellbeing? I bring a particular perspective as a manager working in a corporate role.  @Ermintrude2 brings a perspective from her role working as a social worker in a community mental health team. Here’s our conversation… @VictoriaBetton – I’m interested how our use of social media influences work/life balance and how we keep them separate or merge them together. So my first question is about time. Time spent on social media is time not spent elsewhere. Social media implodes temporal and spatial limitations – we can connect with people all over the globe either in real-time or through snatches of conversation throughout the day (or night). I mostly use social media in relation to my associated work and academic interests, which mean 9-5 parameters collapse. Interestingly, my web search of social media and work/life balance largely focused on people using social media for personal purposes during work time. This is probably the opposite for both of us. What are your thoughts? @Ermintrude2 – Good point. I think it depends what I consider work and what I consider life!  I expect my own boundaries might not be the same as other people’s. My use of social media during hours I am employed to be...