The impact of communication tools on social work practice: Modeling the development of the social sphere and the professional role

The digitalization of social work and sociopedagogical communication is one of the cardinal factors that contributes to the increase in interactions among the state, society and citizens. In this article, we analyze four models of digital communication involving the social: paternalist, corporatist, ethical and sociopedagogical. Their practical applications are demonstrated by (the example of) GoFundMe as a paternalist approach, Sweden’s digital distance learning environment as a corporatist approach, electronic substance service in Estonia representing an ethical approach, and the All-Ukrainian School Online platform designating a sociopedagogical line. "Digital technologies are revolutionizing the way we communicate and expanding access to services, which breaks down silos of social groups and breeds trust among institutions. Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages: a paternalistic model, which allows for the mobilization of resources but is still donor driven; a corporatist model through which there can be coordination at scale, albeit expensive; an etatist model that offers the opportunity to integrate services effectively using electronic media, although it depends on population-wide digital literacy; and a progressive kindergarten that is effective in times of emergency, which also needs continuous improvement and equity. This paper poses important questions concerning the ethics, privacy and data protection in digital social work. Cybertrust and ethics information security professionalism also depend on reliable cybersecurity, as well as ethical conduct. Our discovery confirms that communication models can be personalized according to the needs of the users and that digital technologies ease this process while reducing work flow and providing assisted support, which leads to more effective tools, broader access to services and greater social inclusion as well as government–citizen interaction.