# Conclusion

This free course, Social media and networks in health and social care, has invited you to explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of the internet. It discussed the risks of the internet for children and young people with developmental and intellectual disability and how this group is particularly vulnerable to certain types of online abuse such as sexual exploitation, sexual grooming, cybercrime and unhealthy relationships. This concluded with some top tips and recommendations about education of children, young people, parents, carers and professionals in this context.

You have explored the role of OSNs and OSM, how to use these effectively and considered your own digital footprint in relation to these, especially in the current climate where patients and service users are able to search for health and social care professionals. The later part of this course discussed the implications of patient-targeted Googling (PTG) and the ethical debate surrounding this concept.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course K102 Introducing health and social care.

OpenLearn - Social media and networks in health and social care
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