Rad N Bad: The Digital Tightrope — Social Media, Public Statements, and Supervisee Digital Ethics

Social media gives behavior analysts a powerful public platform, along with real ethical risk. In this solo episode, host Sean Yocum examines professional social media activity through the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts. He discusses how algorithms that reward conflict and outrage can amplify unprofessional content; why personal accounts that reference professional activity function as professional communication; the risks of posting client anecdotes, session memes, or complaints about caregivers or employers; the ethical line between critique that improves practice and oversimplified 'hot takes' that present opinion as scientific fact; and why diluting complex concepts for engagement can contribute to misinformation. He emphasizes the supervisor's responsibility to train and oversee supervisees, including RBTs, on confidentiality and appropriate public statements on social media. He offers a guiding question for every post: does this benefit the client and the community, or only me? Participants will leave with a pre-post checklist and a supervisee training outline.