Sir, the General Dental Council's (GDC's) guidance on social media was updated in January 2024.1 This is the second iteration of the guidance, being first issued in 2013, and then revised in 2016. Readers may be interested to know that changes from the 2016 and 2024 version are minimal. In fact, they amount to two new additions - replacing the word Twitter with its new name X (pp 1) and the insertion of a new web link for guidance on raising concerns (pp 3).
Some registrants may be happy with this minimal change, feeling that the GDC's social media guidance already extends enough regulatory oversight into their personal lives and social media activity. However, others may be surprised by this considering how much social media has advanced in the intervening years, and the new issues and concerns it brings for us to consider. These include, but are not limited to: the meteoric popularity of TikTok and the creative and imaginative ways users interact with and create content for this platform;2 the continued rise of ‘influencers' in social media and how they are shaping public perceptions of general and oral health;3 how the increased sophistication of artificial intelligence-enabled technology, such as ChatGPT and deepfake technology, has brought into sharp focus what we mean by authentic and ‘true' and ‘false' or computer-generated content, images and videos;4 and the role that social media plays in the creation and dissemination of misinformation and false news.5 Individually, and collectively, these digital and social media changes contribute to further blurring of the boundaries between personal and professional spheres, recognition of the psychological impacts of social media, and the realisation that personal and professional digital footprints are more susceptible to falsities or fabrications.
It is worth remembering that the GDC offers guidance for registrants' use of social media, signposting options and choices for how they should remain professional online. It is not a social media policy which comes with the expectation of compliance, and as such has an element of flexibility built into it. Nevertheless, the risks social media poses to personal and reputational harm continue, and have grown exponentially, and it is unfortunate that the GDC didn't take the opportunity for a more substantive review of its guidance, considering the above issues, to ensure the best interest of registrants and patients.
References
General Dental Council. Guidance on using social media. January 2024. Available at: https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/guidance-documents/guidance-on-using-social-media#:~:text=You%20should%20not%20post%20any,does%20not%20guarantee%20your%20confidentiality (accessed January 2024).
Mentionlytics. Top 8 Social Media Trends to Follow in 2024. 2024. Available at: https://www.mentionlytics.com/blog/social-media-trends/ (accessed February 2024).
Powell J, Pring T. The impact of social media influencers on health outcomes: Systematic review. Soc Sci Med 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116472.
Philmlee D. Practice innovations: Seeing is no longer believing - the rise of deepfakes. 2023. Available at: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/technology/practice-innovations-deepfakes/ (accessed February 2024).
Borges do Nascimento I J, Pizarro A B, Almeida J M. Infodemics and health misinformation: a systematic review of reviews. Bull World Health Organ 2022; 100: 544-561.
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Neville, P. Limited guidance from regulator. Br Dent J 236, 359–360 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7196-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7196-z