Showing posts with label morality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label morality. Show all posts

Monday, March 26

Virtual Morals

Photo Credit: vault.hanover.edu
“Do we need a new morality for virtual reality?” (Hamelink, 2006).
It’s impossible to show every aspect of who you are on facebook, but what about stretching the truth? If you told someone face-to-face that you’re 30cm taller than you actually are, you would be laughed at. So why does it become acceptable online? 

In a way there is already a new set of moral ‘rules’ for the online community. Everyone has a different set of moral standards, even in day to day life; some are wide spread such as please and thank you, whilst others depend on cultures. For example in some countries it is polite to laugh at someone who has just fallen over. 

These moral ‘norms’ stretch when placed online. I don’t believe they truly go out the window when someone becomes just another I.P address on the web (as you can never truly be anonymous online). However, it becomes much easier to show who you really are (negative or not) under the idea anonymity. If you’re a 20 year-old male who’s only way of making it through the day is to jump into an online community and pretend to be a 30 year-old female, so long as it isn’t hurting anyone, it’s fine by me!

References:
Hamelink, C. 2006. The Ethics of the Internet: Can We Cope with Lies and Deceit on the Net? In Ideologies of the Internet, Sarikakis & Daya Thussu, pp. 115-130. Hampton Press Inc. New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2012 from http://cmd.lbrary.qut.edu.au/KCB206/KCB206_BK_313947.pdf


Leong, Susan. (2012). KCB206 New Media, Beliefs, Politics & Ethics: Week 4 Lecture notes. Accessed March 25, 2012 from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/


Comments:
Blogger n8295409

A KCB206 Student's Blog - I'm not sure what their name is, or how to have my comment shown, so here is the comment (just in case): I used the 'ask' feature... 


In response to 'Reliability of Online Materials'. I can see what you mean when you talk about the KONY video. People should be weary of what they see, even if it looks professional, that doesn't make it correct. However, I also believe a lot of good came out of that video (and others like it). It opened up our eyes to issues that are occurring. This was a national phenomenon and if only 1/10 people who watched it became activists for other issues, then that’s a million people more globally aware.