An Exploration of the Prevalence and Nature of Facebook Use by Australian Psychologists and Counselors

Abstract

This study explored Facebook use by Australian helping professionals to determine how these professionals use the site. Thirty-six Australian Psychological Society psychologists (M = 50.66y, SD = 12.04y) and 40 Australian Counselling Association counselors (M = 50.5y, SD = 9.83y) participated in the study. A mixed design was used, with a survey distributed to participants via email, including questions relating to demographic information, general technology use (GTU), and Facebook usage. Independent sample t-tests found the professions did not differ in their technology use or Facebook visibility. A Chi squared analysis found no significant correlation between profession and having a Facebook profile. A standard multiple regression found that younger professionals with a wider knowledge of Facebook privacy settings were the most prevalent users of Facebook, with GTU having no significant correlation. Thematic analyses found that while Facebook users were aware of the need for privacy on Facebook, many were unaware of their appearance on Facebook and did not utilize sufficient privacy settings to secure their privacy properly. The findings have implications for the training of professionals in social networking privacy and the incorporation of social networking policies in organizations and ethical codes.

Keywords:

• Facebook
• psychology
• counseling
• privacy
• self-disclosure