Post 3: Ethical Issues Surrounding Technology and Human Communication.

An understanding of how changes in technology impact the way humans communicate, and the ethical issues that surround these changes.

The advancements in technology have allowed humans to connect with each other in easier and more effective ways. The use of digital media and social media platforms mean people can stay up-to-date with the lives of others all around the globe every second of the day. Although this is beneficial in that it means people can express themselves, there are certain ethical issues that do arise given our lives are prominent on the internet.

Possible ethical concerns with the prominence of social media are privacy. Despite the privacy risk being a rising concern for many users they still continue to post and document aspects of their daily lives (Chen, 2018). Possible privacy dilemma that people face is how social media platforms use our personal information, as well as the idea that once something is posted it can never be truly removed from the internet. The privacy-paradox that Chen describes is being people are so concerned about their privacy online, yet they still continue to information which just them heightens their anxiety (2018).

Cyberbullying and trolling are an ethical concern with the rise in digital media as people are finding it easier to be more discreet in the way they target marginalised people. There is a common misconception that mainly children suffer from cyberbullying, but, it is an issue that can and does affect anyone around the world (SOS Safety Magazine, n.d).

It is believed “social media is now a part of the fabric in our society” there is no way of escaping it (Kaplan, Wade, Conteh & Martz, 2011). We cannot avoid it, however, we can approach it in a smart and effective way which does not hinder our privacy of personal safety.

REFERENCES:

Chen, H. (2018). Revisiting the Privacy Paradox on Social Media With an Extended Privacy Calculus Model: The Effect of Privacy Concerns, Privacy Self-Efficacy, and Social Capital on Privacy Management. Retrieved from https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/doi/full/10.1177/0002764218792691

Kaplan, D., Wade, M., Conteh, J. & Martz, E. (2011). Legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of social media in counselling. Counselling and Human Development, 43(8). Retrieved from https://go-gale-com.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA275311436&v=2.1&u=acuni&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

SOS Safety Magazine. (n.d.). The Real Causes of Cyber Bullying and How to Prevent It. Retrieved from https://sossafetymagazine.com/bullying/the-real-causes-of-cyberbullying/