Uso de la tecnología en la profesión del Trabajo Social: Análisis y reflexiones desde el ejercicio profesional

Abstract

Technology has been implemented in our daily work, having a far-reaching impact on the professional practice of numerous professions. This fact leads us to understand the current impact and future projections of technology in the social work profession. To this end, we study the current scope of technology in different areas of social work practice, examining the most widely used resources and programs and, at the same time, the benefits and disadvantages of incorporating digitalization into social work intervention techniques and methods for both professionals and users. As an analysis, we gather the opinions of professionals in intervention areas related to health, minors, social services, the elderly, dependency, immigration, and the homeless. The aim is to understand their perceptions regarding the use of technology, as well as the ethical dilemmas they may face. Previously, and as a theoretical context, we present references linked to social work, addressing concepts related to technology and its incorporation into social work. For this study, in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed, revealing the main finding that professionals still lack training in the use of technology. They opted to complement humanized care with technological resources, and they emphasized the need to improve technological accessibility in the social work profession.