Why Can't We Be Friends? A Case-Based Analysis of Ethical Issues with Social Media in Health Care

Abstract

This quote comes from the ever-popular '90s sitcom Seinfeld. In this classic scene, the always-put-upon George Costanza complains to his best friend Jerry about his two selves-Independent George and Relationship George. Independent George is the George that both George and Jerry love (bawdy, lying, etc.), whereas Relationship George is the identity that George maintains with his girlfriend, Susan. His concern is that if he does not create a firewall between these two identities, Relationship George will subsume Independent George. The exchange between George and Jerry humorously illustrates the real-life challenges of our brave new world of social media. Like George, who wants to maintain a boundary between his two personal ("bawdy" and relationship) identities, health care professionals are concerned about keeping their professional identities separate from their personal identities online The issue of boundaries is but one of many that the use of social media raises. In fact, the ubiquitous use of social media has created a number of potential ethical and legal challenges, some of which we will cover in this article. Specifically, we will: