The general belief is that social networking users are adolescents and young adults. While the percentage of adolescents and young adults using online social networking sites like Facebook and TikTok is higher compared to older adults, this is beginning to change. In 2021, 50% of adults 65 years of age and older used Facebook [76]. Older adults report using social networking technology to connect with people by sharing photos, personal news and updates, and links.

A chatroom or chat group is a virtual community or venue in which a group of individuals can "dialogue" and share information about a common interest asynchronously (non-real time) or synchronously (real time). Chatrooms are often organized by specific topics or interests, such as a hobby, an illness, mental health disorders, or personal interests. For example, it is possible to find an online chatroom devoted to the discussion of depression.

Blogs are analogous to a website journal and generally consist of a log of entries displayed in chronologic order. Entries might include commentary, information about events, graphics, or videos posted by an individual or group. Globally, it is estimated that there are more than 600 million blogs, and in the United States, there are an estimated 32.7 million bloggers [102].

Social networking is a form of online communication that is comprised of "web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system" [15]. Examples of social networking sites include YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, and Gab [76].

In addition to affecting personal life, recreation, and the dissemination of information, Internet technologies have also impacted the provision of health and mental health care. E-mail is one of the most commonly utilized web-based interventions in clinical practice [18]. E-mail-based counseling consists of asynchronous interactions between a counselor and client using text-based communications sent electronically. E-mail communications allow the client to provide brief narratives, and the counselor can structure the communication for exploration of the described symptoms with a problem-solving focus [19]. Some practitioners will use e-mail as a mechanism to provide support. The premise is that the opportunity to interact with another individual, even in writing, can help to mitigate maladaptive responses to stressors [20]. This may be the most useful for clients who cannot easily see a practitioner due to transportation issues or residing in remote areas. In addition, e-mail counseling or any type of counseling involving text-based communication may be cathartic for the client and allow him or her to control how much information to disclose and when to disclose it [80]. E-mail counseling has been likened to a journal, allowing clients to revisit conversations with counselors. E-mail counseling was also perceived as flexible and accessible [105]. Even with high risk and sensitive topics (e.g., suicide), e-mail counseling may be preferred to phone counseling if the client feels better able to express him/herself through writing [106].

In one study of abuse survivor care, nurse practitioners reported that e-mail technology allowed for immediate referrals, education, support, information, and guidance, improving their practice and level of care [20]. E-mails have also been used as a supplement for supervision, and they can serve as a journal of thoughts and questions between an intern and a supervisor to stimulate reflection [21]. Due to the convenience of e-mails and the ability to aggregate lists of e-mail addresses (e-mail distribution lists), forming groups in which participants interact through e-mail has proliferated [12]. A single individual can physically set-up distribution lists and send mass e-mails, or the distribution of the e-mails can be moderated through special software. E-mail software application systems are available to handle the task of subscribing or unsubscribing persons from the e-mail distribution list (LISTSERV) [12]. Such applications are often developed for the purpose of disseminating information or providing support for a specific issue [22]. They can be particularly helpful in keeping practitioners abreast of current information and connected with colleagues. These distribution lists may also be beneficial for training and continuing professional development [23]. In a study conducted by Cook and Doyle about the motivations of using e-mail-based counseling, many of the participants indicated that they preferred it to face-to-face counseling because it was less embarrassing and they had the ability to read and reread e-mails and reflect on the counseling sessions [59]. Furthermore, it offers flexibility for both the client and counselor, as they do not need to be communicating synchronously [118].

As of 2024, there are an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 mental health-oriented apps, focused on helping individuals with issues such as stress, anxiety, sleep, and depression [119]. While it is not clear how many mental health- and wellness-related type of apps are on smartphones, there are more than 80 apps on individuals' smartphones on average, and 92% of time spent on a smartphone is on an app [120]. It is estimated that only 3% to 5% of mental health apps have been empirically tested. Therefore, practitioners should be cautious about the apps they recommend or how they are used in conjunction with interventions [120].

Online chatting, texting, and instant messaging refers to the exchange of brief written messages in quasi-real time (i.e., quasi-synchronously) between two phones or computers [80]. Common platforms for online counseling may include MSN, WhatsApp, SMS, or IMessage [81]. While online chatting is slower than talking, clients appear to disclose the problem more quickly, which may be attributable to characteristics of chatting that promote disinhibition [82]. In a qualitative study examining counselor/client e-mails and online chats, clients tended to get to the point of the problem more quickly in chats, while in e-mail counseling, clients wrote longer narratives with greater detail [82]. In e-mail counseling, there was more interactional space, while in online chat, there was more real-time interaction. Texting may also be used as an adjunct to traditional psychotherapy, particularly as a means of providing appointment reminders to increase treatment compliance [107]. Text messages can also increase rapport between the client and the counselor [107]. Others feel more open and disinhibited using text, and to some extent, they perceive there is more anonymity to texting. This promotes a greater sense of confidentiality [122]. Despite all the benefits of text-based counseling, the nuances of face-to-face interactions can get lost, and if the content is too long in the text, clients may be less likely to fully read and process the content [122]. Best practice is to use 160 characters of less in a single message [123].

Chatrooms or discussion groups may be established to address specific topics or interests (e.g., surviving cancer, coping with depression). Ideally, these websites will have experienced practitioners acting as facilitators who may observe and guide the "conversations" [24,25]. Benefits of discussion groups include lasting documentation of discussions (in the form of archived transcripts), the creation of a supportive environment, and a minimization of isolation. Online discussion boards offer an opportunity for members to be heard and to relate to others, reducing feelings of isolation [108]. In a study of a real-time chatroom offering peer counseling on a variety of emotional issues, the online peer counseling was found to be person-centered [60]. The youths who participated were satisfied with their counselor's ability to provide support. However, the counselors had difficulty providing solutions and assisting participants to think critically and generate solutions.

Because social support is an essential factor in helping people cope with medical conditions, social networking may be an important tool. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline partnered with Facebook in an initiative to prevent suicide. As part of this program, if a Facebook user notices that a "friend" posted a suicidal comment or a post that alluded to suicidal intent, the comment could be reported to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, with the "friend" then contacted via e-mail or an instant chat [61]. The Italian Service for Online Psychology (SIPO) also employs Facebook as a means to provide free online psychological consultations [84]. Between November 2011 and June 2014, 284 individuals used Facebook for 30-minute consultations with an SIPO clinician. Depression was the most common reported presenting problem. In this example, Facebook chat offers a convenient and non-stigmatizing way to access mental health assistance, thereby eliminating barriers to access to traditional mental health care [84].

Using technology, people can more easily provide both emotional and informational support to each other regardless of geographic or other barriers. One example of a social networking site for patients focusing on health and medical conditions is PatientsLikeMe (https://www.patientslikeme.com). There are also social networking sites specifically developed to allow healthcare professionals to connect with each other and share information. Examples include AllNurses (https://allnurses.com), Sermo (https://app.sermo.com), and Doximity (https://www.doximity.com).

As noted, one of the hallmarks of curricula in graduate professional degree programs is to acquaint novice professionals about the profession's identity, ethical practice within the field, and sense of professionalism. Professional identity has been defined as a "frame of reference for carrying out work roles, making significant decisions, and developing as a professional" [30]. The developmental process of a practitioner's professional identity is a continual process involving attitudinal, behavioral, and structural changes that result in an understanding and acceptance of what is involved in being a professional. The development of a practitioner's professional identity begins in graduate school, and the process continues to affect future professional behaviors [30]. This dynamic process includes teaching knowledge, development of a professional identity, and socialization into the group or profession's norms and values [62].

Professionalism is defined as a set of norms endorsed by a collective community and is characterized by "a personal high standard of competence," including "the means by which a person promotes or maintains the image" of a profession [32]. Professionalism involves a set of qualities, including not only knowledge and clinical skills but commitment, integrity, altruism, individual responsibility, compassion, and accountability [33]. In health care, professionalism often involves employing and applying a unique set of clinical skills and scientific knowledge base [85]. In the helping professions, professionalism is designed to promote patient/client autonomy, protect the public, improve access to care, distribute constrained resources in a just and equitable manner, and ensure professional accountability to the public [34,35]. Ultimately, the public has to trust the profession and its professionals [128].

E-professionalism is a set of online attitudinal and behavioral standards that conforms to the expectations and values of a profession (e.g., integrity, competence, confidentiality, beneficence) [111]. It is not simply etiquette in the Internet space, such as demonstrating respect in an email or in a social media post. Rather, it involves constructing and projecting an online persona and identity that embodies the traits of professionalism [129,130]. Unfortunately, it is not clear if one can simply apply traditional professional principles directly in the online environment [111]. Breaches of privacy and confidentiality on social media, blurring of personal and professional relationships, online civility, and violations of agency/organizational policies are common issues that should be addressed in e-professionalism guidelines [112].

Based on these ethical principles, professions develop ethical codes that embody the values of the profession and guide behaviors of members. In an analysis of the codes of ethics of diverse professions, researchers were able to classify the codes into four domains [40]:

The professional's qualities and characteristics

Behaviors toward other professionals and colleagues

Behaviors of professionals in a range of situations

The responsibility of the profession and the professional to society and the common good

Therapeutic boundaries are established to promote client beneficence and define the client/practitioner relationship. Informed consent, single-role relationship, and confidentiality support these boundaries [70]. The boundaries of the client-practitioner relationship will get blurred as online friendship interactions can lead to sharing of private information on the part of both parties, which may negatively impact the professional relationship [47,79,125]. If practitioners find sensitive or embarrassing information about clients, they may be conflicted regarding the appropriate way to use this information. For example, a practitioner may be working with a client on abstaining alcohol, and in the session, the client denies having used alcohol in the past 24 hours. However, if the client and practitioner are linked on a social networking site, the practitioner may stumble onto a photo of the client at a party holding a beer bottle. There is no clear correct course of action. Should the practitioner utilize this information in the next clinical session? If the practitioner does bring it up, does it violate privacy issues? Will it affect the clinical rapport and relationship?

The same questions can be asked when practitioners use social networking sites to create profiles and post information. How might this information harm the client or jeopardize trust, credibility, and the working the relationship? If a practitioner is a supervisor, what issues of subtle coercion may arise [5]? Of course, each practitioner's behavior on social networking sites must be in accordance with the profession's ethical codes. Befriending a client or patient on a social networking site could potentially violate standards regarding multiple relationships or dual relationships [48].

The main ethical issues associated with e-mail distribution lists concern risks to confidentiality and privacy. Mass e-mail communications can be intercepted at four different points: prior to being e-mailed from the originating computer, during transmission, upon receipt, and when subpoenaed [24]. In one study, 10% of social workers reported having e-mailed something to the wrong person [97]. Some practitioners may utilize this technology to solicit professional consultation from their colleagues. If this is the case, they may describe a case in detail. Even if the client's name and specific identifying information are excluded, the details provided could increase the risk to violating confidentiality. This risk is further increased with the advent of data mining software, which can analyze and search e-mails for certain content or key words [23].

Cell phones and smartphones are commonplace, and it is important to carefully consider the possible benefits and consequences before providing a personal cell phone number to a patient or client. First, conversations on cell phones cannot be guaranteed confidentiality, as it possible that the conversation will be intercepted by another device (e.g., baby monitor) [70]. Perhaps more importantly, cell phones can imply some level of personal familiarity that goes beyond the client/practitioner relationship [70]. Finally, giving a cell phone number may imply that the practitioner will be available at any time, including after professional hours. To create boundaries, practitioners may inform the client that messages will only be checked during work hours [97].

There are three main types of self-disclosures, and the Internet can affect each of these types [53]:

There are three main types of self-disclosures, and the Internet can affect each of these types [53]:

The most typical disclosures via Facebook profiles are of one's age, gender, education, and relationship status [98]. In the past, if a client asked about a practitioner's background, this could be used as an opportunity to understand the underlying dynamics of the client's interest. Ultimately, practitioners must be diligent in managing their images in both the face-to-face and Internet worlds. Issues of self-disclosure and transparency have moved outside the therapeutic encounter and onto the Internet, and online posts, blogs, threads in discussion forums, and mass e-mails will for the most part stay "alive" in the virtual world [54,125]. The psychotherapy environment is relational and intimate, and the Internet has reduced the physical dimensions between the client and professional, all of which makes it easier for therapists to accidentally reveal their non-therapist self to their clients [125].

When using social networking sites and/or blogs, practitioners should use a pseudonym, check their privacy filters, block certain personal information (e.g., birthdates, marital status, hometown), and research the restrictions in place for their online profiles in order to exercise control over who can access the information [79,135]. Most social networking sites and blog platforms have some kind of privacy filter available, but even when in use, clients may be able to view limited information (e.g., a profile picture). Practitioners should remember that privacy controls are subject to change at the discretion of the social media company [66]. Some experts recommend checking privacy settings every three to six months or with every software update [112].

Consider crafting a professional statement about why accepting patients/clients as online friends is inappropriate. If this is an issue affecting your practice, spend time writing a standard statement to send to clients/patients regarding the professional policy not to accept clients as online friends [50]. This statement can be friendly but firm and should indicate the reasons it is not wise to establish this online relationship due to privacy and confidentiality issues. However, clients should be encouraged to discuss any issues with the practitioner during a scheduled session within the context of the therapeutic setting.

Consider crafting a professional statement about why accepting patients/clients as online friends is inappropriate. If this is an issue affecting your practice, spend time writing a standard statement to send to clients/patients regarding the professional policy not to accept clients as online friends [50]. This statement can be friendly but firm and should indicate the reasons it is not wise to establish this online relationship due to privacy and confidentiality issues. However, clients should be encouraged to discuss any issues with the practitioner during a scheduled session within the context of the therapeutic setting.