Technology and Ethical Considerations
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Technology and Ethical Considerations
Communication technology has hit the world in and penetrated deep over the last decade. In fact, the current age is known as the ‘information age’ simply due to the advances in the forms of communication and information sharing (Johnston and McCabe, 2014). The advances come with equal advantages as disadvantages with proper utilization required if the benefits are to be realized. The information technology devices are prone to misuse, with people often tending to use them for the wrong purpose. Mobile phone is an example of the technology product commonly misused through its every feature that keeps on being developed to enhance its utility.
Lately, mobile phones have several features developed in them and that make them multifunctional. In addition, the cost of a mobile phone, to be precise a better smart phone is as cheap as $50 and therefore affordable to even the low-income earners. Since no one is trained, and not everyone knows the ethics of communication, the devices are misused as people even go to an extent of defrauding others, sending defamatory or explicit texts or even abusing the rights of others ignorantly.
Sexually explicit messages, photos or clips are all over. People send suggestive or sexually explicit photos with messages attached to them between their phones. This phenomenon is called sexting, with the actual text referred to as sext. The issue first hit the public domain in 2007, when there were claims of teens going explicit over their phone conversations, others face pornography charges (Watts, 2014). Sexting have been reported even among adults, with some of influential persons falling on the trap. The statistics however are skewed towards the teens, as the young teens contribute the highest number of the persons who have in one way or another participated in sexting.
The statistics provided by researches and surveys are alarming basing on the fact that not everyone involved in the act would have participated in the surveys (Cummins and Haag, 2010). People have divergent view about mobile phones use for sexting arguing that it is just a communication medium. Having an explicit conversation over the phone between partners is not seen to be wrong, since it equates the face-to-face communication (Becker, Mackelprang, Perkins & Tehee, 2014). Even as phones can be seen to facilitate sexting and explicit exposure, some people still feel that the acts are committed knowingly or unknowingly in even without the technology, in real life.
Legality of Sexting among Children and Adults
With the advancement in technology, sexting is done in private that involves many people at the same time. According to Johnston and McCabe (2014), sexting is rampant among teens and can be considered illegal. Most people who engage in the act have knowledge of the legality and illegality of sexting. Normally, when sexting involves children as the victims of the explicit photo recipients, then the action would be considered illegal (Johnston and McCabe, 2014). There is need for legislations to be specific on what entails the legality and illegality of sexting and the consequences, making people aware of illegal possibilities of the act.
According to Rawlins (2014), technological advancements spur new social anxieties that inspire new legal regulations. States tend to regulate the advancements in technology in line with the existing norms and political order. The expansive internet access and mobile phones has brought about a rapid shift in the manner in which people express and act themselves, quickly and before a large audience. Production and exchange of explicit photos has become an issue of concern among legislatures, courts and concerned parties. The act of sharing nude photos have affected young individuals negatively with some even taking away their lives on realizing their nudes were circulating over communication media. This draws attention of regulators and legislators on the harmful and hateful use of technology and the related tragic events.
There are new technologically mediated events that spike legal developments, cultural changes and dominant conceptions. When a minority age is involved in the act, sexting is illegal and treated as pornography on several occurrences that result to harsh criminal penalties to the people involved. Legislators therefore are striving to rewrite their laws clearly to depict what constitutes child abuse and pornography to prevent loopholes in the laws that would allow predators to escape prosecution or conviction. Greater prosecution mechanisms are developed with different densities of punishment for child pornography and sexting as changes in laws and policies are believed to solve part of the problem.
The problem of technology crimes and poor judgments has landed a good number in the hands of law enforcers and jail. With the adjustments in laws and the categorical actions and consequences of sexting, those aware of the legal actions if they fall victims are unlikely to reveal their actions (Ahern & Mechling, 2013). The acts can lead to social seclusion, shame, humiliation, depression and in some cases suicide. Lawmakers are consequently striving to fix the serious legal situations, as they believe that stringent measures will result to reduced rates of sexting behaviors, child pornography and abuse (Ahern, &Mechling, 2013).
Ethical Violation of Adult Sexting
According to Cummins and Haag (2010), the manner in which information is collected, stored and accessed depends on a person’s ethics as to what is perceived right or wrong. A person’s own ethical structure developed in the lifetime is one of the factors that can be subjected in a situation of ethical dilemma (Ferguson, 2010). Other than that, set of practical circumstances inevitably involved in decision-making process can also help in determination. There are several factors and ethical challenges that a person is likely to face as structured by Cummins and Haag (2010), with the outermost involving things people will not consider bad if any of them really matter. The structure at the middle contain the real ethical challenges as to what is constituted to be wrong if a person involves in a situation which can be seen as a violation in one way, and the other that cannot be seen as a violation. At the core of the structure by Cummins and Haag (2010) are the real ethical violations at each circumstance that would be considered as serious ethical violation no matter the situation.
The ethical structure may however change depending on the consequences of the violations, society opinion, likelihood of effect, the results from such acts relatedness and consequences. In some situations where the violations are carried in the society or organization at varied levels, some of the violations can be more or less acceptable (Ferguson, 2010). However, an action is not merely made acceptable simply because most people do it (Cummins and Haag, 2010). Ethical decisions and consideration should be clear and people act from the essence of ethical sense in their decisions on practical aspects of the situation.
In the case of sexting between adults, it can be considered of no ethical violation as there is no situation of conflicting interests, responsibilities or goals. Both parties involved are consenting individuals with moral authority to make their own sound decisions on the situation. However, in a situation where the relation has rewards for both though with a consequential result then adult sexting can be considered ethical violation. Depending on the magnitude of the outcome, the situation can be considered a serious ethical violation more so in a situation whereby it occurs in a socially unacceptable manner against the society opinion over the same or if the case affects minors in the process (Dematteo, Murphy, & Strohmaier, 2014).
Link of Power to Sexting and Infidelity
Some of the most powerful people have been linked to infidelity because of sexting and exchange of nudes over the phones or internet. Several influential people and the rich have been caught on the nets of infidelity and sexting (McCabe and Johnson, 2014). Extramarital affairs allegations levied against him even by his colleagues, world golf legendary Tiger Woods have been on spotlight on different occasions (London Standard, 2011). Just as the one time representative of the New York City (Cummins and Haag, 2010), Woods is considered a person of power and influence in the sporting industry over his stakes and outstanding performance.
Power however should not be a justification of unethical or morally unacceptable acts as those in power are expected to have a higher level of integrity. Those in powers however tend to engage in such act, and as previous researches state, they feel that they have money and influence and nobody will bother to interfere with them (Cummins and Haag, 2010). In the cases where the actions have been proved, some of the most powerful people resign from their positions as dictated by their respective laws. States are writing laws to protect people against such acts irrespective of the position of those involved (Slane, 2013).
Conclusion
With the advancements in the innovations and technology, there are noticeable changes in behaviors and mannerism in cultures, as people tend to use technologies more. Intentions and the rate at which the exchange of explicit is not clearly known, the rate of the actions have highly risen in the recent past. Most people knowing of the consequences of their actions tend to conceal them and seclude themselves to avoid the legal outcomes. States are adjusting laws and policies to eliminate vagueness in any of their clauses, with stringent measures taken against those found to be engaged in acts such as child pornography with hope that the acts will reduce (Dematteo, Murphy, & Strohmaier, 2014).
References
Ahern, Nancy R, R.N., PhD. & Mechling, Brandy, RN, PhD. P.M.H.C.N.S.-B.C. (2013). Sexting: Serious problems for youth. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 51(7), 22-30. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20130503-02
Becker, J. V., Mackelprang, E., Perkins, A. B., & Tehee, M. (2014).Sexting behaviors among college students: Cause for concern? International Journal of Sexual Health, 26(2), 79. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1522310656?accountid=149666
Cummings, M., & Haag, S. (2013). Management information systems for the information age (9th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. ISBN-13 9780073376783
Dematteo, D., Murphy, M., & Strohmaier, H. (2014).Youth sexting: Prevalence rates, driving motivations, and the deterrent effect of legal consequences. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 11(3), 245-255. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13178-014-0162-9
Ferguson, C. J. (2011). Sexting behaviors among young Hispanic women: Incidence and association with other high-risk sexual behaviors. Psychiatric Quarterly, 82(3), 239-43.doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11126-010-9165-8
Johnston, O. C., & McCabe, K. A. (2014).Perceptions on the legality of sexting: A report.Social Science Computer Review, 32(6), 765. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1622309543?accountid=149666
London Standard. (2011). "Don't judge Tiger, says Clarke." London Evening Standard [London, England]: 46. General OneFile.