Ethics of social media - Essay Example

Ethics of Social Media Since the beginning of the 21st century, latest information technology has revolutionized the way of communicating through several social networking websites like facebook, twitter, MySpace and others. It also impacted the social, political practices and information delivering techniques for a person as well as for the whole community throughout the world. Thus, this phenomenon brought a response from the philosophers and ethicists to determine the technology as beneficial for the users on the ethical grounds. However, such responses from the veterans are subjected to continue rejections and challenges with time as the technology of the social networking is changing and facing new horizons. The main aspect of the use of this technology can be seen by the transformation of the communication process, but the social bonding is virtually ethical or not needs a constant reply. The bonding is in terms of friends, parents’ children bonding, and employer link to employee, coworker to other coworker, student and teacher, neighbors, buyer and sellers, doctor connections with patients and many others. The ethical conclusions on such networking technologies are not based on personal grounds. The interacting web service is complex in nature with connection to the online and offline world, the different motives of the developers and corporations comes out to be disputable and therefore, it is in the basic need of some strict philosophical and ethical balances for the future years of the networking world. Definition and history of social networking services: The phrase “social networking” has diverse meaning and concepts with no clear definition. As humans on earth are in constant reach of social networking by one way or the other since the time of the birth (Boyd 16). History has showed that humans developed several ways to came in contact with one another and in social interaction by many means and ways, thus, making the particular institutions and affiliated places like private or public clubs, lodge and church. Moreover, humans developed and invented tools for communication like telegram, telephone, postal services and others. So, when philosophers maintain the ethical balance for the social networking communication, they are of the means that what would be the ethical influence of the ambiguous social networking service, which is formed from the web 2.0 software standards. The same was evolved first in the beginning of the twenty first century. Before the appearance of web 2.0 standards, the internet based social networking was there for the last many years through computer operations. The first official networking was done through computer in 1970 in the U.S by the military ARPANET and after that it began to expand in order to provide facility to many newsgroups based on the internet use, mailing electronically, bulletin board system, multi user dungeons and other rooms dedicated for the chat purpose that were based on topics and social identities. The initial form of social networking communication evolves organically for the purpose of discovering medium for institutional, academic and commercial ranges. Therefore, web 2.0 standard were introduced in order to provide the users with collective, user formatted and sharing of internet based content and during this, the major purpose of the web 2.0 developers was commercialized and institutional based. They knew the potential of the internet based subsystem and worked to improved it further. Particularly, the web 2.0 gave the platform to the users to make their online and offline presence- a latest practice that moved the internet communication from its general form that was based on anonymous discussions without concealing the true identities. The latest standard of interaction through internet was initiated by orkut, MySpace, LinkedIn, Friendster, habbo, bebo and facebook by revealing true identities. The next standard was based on sharing of internet based content through hulu, YouTube and flickr. Micro blogging introduced through tumblr and twitter, location based networking with Google latitude, yelp and loopt as well as sharing of personal interest can be made through pinterest. The new standards in the form of web 2.0 revolutionized the internet connecting medium to whole new level. Social networking service and initial scholarly implications The ethical and philosophical involvements for the social networking services became the essential segment of computer and information ethics. The interdisciplinary status of computer and information ethics was only answered by the renowned and veteran philosophers and ethicists who were trained and experienced scholars. However, this stage cannot be considered as the first step in the development of the ethics for the online networking system. It is because of the reason that this discipline has relation with the computer mediated communication uses and impacts. It is a separate field of studies with the name of internet studies. In the beginning, the ethical implications were conducted by the sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, ethnographers, media personnel and political pundits. As a result of this, each person in the ethical study made it evident whether to conduct the separate study of the matter or make it a combined effort by taking help of other disciplines relating to ethics. Online social networking and initial viewpoint of philosophers The philosophers that worked for the social networking ethics for the very first tine were phenomenological philosophers of technology named Albert Borgmann and Hubery Dreyfus. Their main source of influence was the viewpoint of Heidegger for the technology, which defined it as a monolithic force having different vector of impact that restricts the actual experience of human to the society. As Albert Borgmann and Hubery Dreyfus were given statements for the internet based social system before the development of web 2.0 standard such as newsgroup, chatrooms and email listings, the resulting statement of philosophers were directly associated with the social networking system in the broader terms. For the latest internet based social service technology, Borgmann’s viewpoint was termed as device paradigm. He confirmed the phonomenon as a tendency to communicate with the entire world on the basis of simple consumption (Kupiainen130). Until 1992, the point of view of Borgmann for the social, ethical and philosophical impacts of social networking service became much narrowed and came up the hyperreality concept that explained the information technology as the means in which social networking subverts the social truths by enabling the individuals to portray themselves as the fashionable and stylized beings in order to sociable entertainment purpose instead of giving the actual pictures of the harsh social reality of the individual. For Borgmann, it was morally inert and the negative impacts of such hyperrealites may cause resentment and deafeatful results once the person got back to the organic reality of discomfort and lack of glamour. In his book, holding on to reality, in 1999 Borgmann stated the difference between the virtual stylization and the reality check of hardships. In Borgmann’s analysis of the situation, there was an uncertain factor lied but he further explained there is continues competition inside the individual for the real organic and stylized presence that has made the social online world a very convenient, pleasant and ethically differential. He made it clear that the online social networking system are lacking in basic ethics and morals. The critics for the viewpoint of Borgmann compared it with the Heidegger’s implications that made it monolithic model of technology as one and deterministic force for human bonding (Christians 136). The model was termed as technological determinism that makes the technology as the sole mover of social and cultural changes, mold the human institution, believe and value system in a way that is not under control of anyone. The same is the viewpoint of Borgmann. However, the critics are of the view that his analysis lacks the attention of substantive differences in social networking system and the several uses of it. The other philosopher who gave his implications for the internet based social networking system was Hubert Dreyfus. He combined his idea with Borgmann in 2001 for the ethical possibilities in the internet based social system. Just like Borgmann, Hubert Dreyfus described the reality of the system as the impoverished alternate of the reality. Similar to the Borgmann, Hubert Dreyfus was studied the phenomenological roots that made him to give due attention to the fact the there is a suspension of the presence of the person. He further explained that there is a risk in the electronically communication and there will be no commitment or true essence found in the range. The only reason to get attracted with the medium is the ability to substitute the presence and play with others by disclosing the real identity. He said the internet make the individual free to create latest and exciting characters. Anyone who is facing the reality can agree with this however, Kierkegaard explained the contradictory state of the person when he has the means to know the consequence of everything. He maintained his perspective from the next level and said that human does not need changes and brilliancy but requires stiffness, balance in approach and withholding to the reality. Hubert Dreyfus accepted the principle and said that a user of the internet who has made the identity a mere risk in the actual world has to perform against the grain that made them influenced to use the internet for the first time. The viewpoints of both the initial philosopher i.e. Borgmann and Dreyfus brought the earlier models for the internet system and social networking ethics but both the ideas were subjected to certain failures in certain aspects with the highly evolving technological systems. Hubert Dreyfus did not predicted the ways of latest social networking system like facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ that made the earlier concept of anonymity vague and identity revelation got more ethical and real as opposed to the previous models. Similarly, Borgmann idea of immobile attachment to the social system that is based on internet didn’t foresee the concept of latest mobile social networking applications that has made the presence of the individual mobile and can be determined by using such apps. This leads to immediate meetings and gatherings of the users of the same social networking group by giving the location or presence data online. The failure of both models, however, was not fatal in the opinion. The scholars in the social sciences and natural studies have concerned about the influence of social networking system on the psychological aspects of being happy, well being, adjusting in the social sphere, social capital and satisfaction of feeling. The topics around which the philosophers moved for the ethics of the social system includes privacy of information, true identity, friendship, true life and freedom of democracy. However, some topics have traditional roots such as social capital and feeling of satisfaction along with rights and duties, motivation and results of the impacts. Other issues of ethics are general based like copyright issues and intellectual property. Privacy concern in social networking system With the advent in the technology of the social networking system, there lies an addition of the new concern regarding the computer and informational privacy (Livingstone 400). For instance, most of the arguments and debates of the ethical philosophers revolves around the concept of privacy issues whether to consider it as information control, restrict the information to unknown or about contextual integrity. This all should now be seen under the privacy policies of famous social networking sites like facebook and twitter. This issue considered to be as the centre of the attention. There are some areas of concern that involves the threat of sharing the user’s data with the outside party for individual purpose like marketing, surveillance or data mining, the ability of the photo recognition software to identify the people from the uploaded pictures, the use of the outside party application that use and publish the data of user without any prior permission, the automatic privacy control system, use of cookies to track the user performance after leaving the networking site, the concern of location based applications that allows the stalking and other activities that are not good for the user and the way of sharing unauthentic , ill-informed and unethical content without making it confirm not of themselves but of general use. Facebook alone has come into light of privacy issues, however, it is just the one factor in the large pool of social networking system that has the mean to enter and use the private data. Identity and community ethics in social networking system As the technology of social networking system evolved, it made separate ethical studies for the identity of the individuals as well as for communities that are formed on the internet either real or virtual in nature. Not just formed, but also managed and performed task for the users. Philosophers in this regard used the phrase “technologies of the self” that helps the formation and activities of the personal identity and for the different forms of communities that are practicing and performing on the social networking platform. It is the virtual and not real communities that grabbed the attention of the ethicists and philosopher to develop the ethical norms. Patrick stokes in 2011 stated that in contrast with the past communities that were unreal and virtual in nature, now there are more communities on facebook with real identities and real world presence. Such social networking websites allow the individuals to make the communities or groups of schools, workplace or home that is not under the permission of the concerned area. Friendship, virtue and good life ethics on social networking system Through the social networking system, several types of connection is possible for instance: LinkedIn promotes social relations that are formed on the professional identities, twitter is based on connecting a normal individual with the public interest, MySpace made the connection between the artist and fans much easier by providing the right connecting platform, facebook that was established to linked the university folks has now become the world’s largest website that connects people across the globe and now helping the business firms to create a communication bridge between the customers and owners (Vallor 160). The term friend is used to accept any type of relationship on the social networking system. This term has taken a lot of attention from the philosophers and ethicists just like other similar concerns of cybercrime and privacy revelations. The initial concepts about the friendship in social networking sphere revolved around the virtual type of friendship in between the two people who are physically apart, thus, there is an absence of real world connection or face to face friendship. This idea was rejected by Adam Briggle in 2008 in the light that friendship based on internet has some benefits over the real world. Friendship that is formed online is more frank than the offline friendships, which might due to the physical security. He also suggested that communication based on written statements is more thoughtful and intentional. Such type of ideas that begins the difference between the online and offline world started the ethical problems relating to friendship on online basis. As the facebook completed its five years of working, the concept of being in connection with the people whom they already know in the real world through personal connection came into light such as family relatives, school friends, college buddies and former co workers. So, social networking websites are not just for the development of online contacts but it works to make the people closer even they know them personally by discussing and planning for the parties and meetings. Some other social networking websites such as Google latitude, loopt and other eve facilitate this concept by helping the friends to get the exact location of the person whenever they are in need of for the instant catch up at restaurants, hotels or shopping malls that was previously not possible. These innovations have even enhanced the security of individuals as these innovations allow to track individuals who are missing from the grid. However, ethical studies developed the idea of ignoring or giving less attention to those having the immediate contact like checking of facebook newsfeed while having dinner with family, giving no attention to parents and others. The philosophers considered it as a complex concern that is emerging in the society. Democracy and freedom for public sphere in social networking system Just like the concepts of privacy, real identity, friendship, community and other on the social networking system, the influence of democracy and freedom on the public sphere was also considered on the ethical basis. It gave rise to the discussion that was initiated way back got the development of web 2.0 standards when political debates were present on the world of internet. The main idea around which the study revolved was that whether internet provides free space for the discussion or halts the process of freedom of speech. Social networking websites such as facebook and twitter works for the immediate sharing, proper exposure and freedom to take part in any debate. There is no barrier in sharing, discussing or promoting the idea on the private or public grounds. The lack of barriers allow individuals to become a part of the society and engage with those individuals in the society with whom they prefer to socialize with. On the other hand, the users have the right to make their sharing private with those who do not agree with the viewpoint thus, making the website more easy and helpful in this regard. Cybercrime and social networking services Social networking services are not free from the criminal activities and therefore, it is under various attacks of mass media regarding the immense activities that include: cyber bullying, cyberstalking, child exploitation, and legal surveillance, theft of identity, intellectual property and copyright issues. No doubt each of the elements that count under cybercrime exists even before the invention of web 2.0 standards; it is therefore, a main area of concern that requires great determination and policies from the social, ethical and moral philosophers. The cybercrime comes under the computer ethics department as a much larger field of concern and the enhancement of such problems on the social networking system has made the issue more critical and distinguishable for the coming years. Works Cited Boyd, Danah M, and Nicole B. Ellison. "Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship." Ieee Engineering Management Review. 38.3 (2010): 16. Print. Christians, Clifford G, Shakuntala Rao, Stephen J. A. Ward, and Herman Wasserman. "Toward a Global Media Ethics: Theoretical Perspectives." Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies. 29.2 (2008): 135-172. Print. Kupiainen, Reijo, Juha Suoranta, and Tere Vaden. "Fire Next Time: or Revisioning Higher Education in the Context of Digital Social Creativity." E-learning. 4.2 (2007): 128-137. Print. Livingstone, Sonia. "Taking Risky Opportunities in Youthful Content Creation: Teenagers' Use of Social Networking Sites for Intimacy, Privacy and Self-Expression." New Media & Society. 10.3 (2008): 393-411. Print. Vallor, Shannon. "Social Networking Technology and the Virtues." Ethics and Information Technology. 12.2 (2010): 157-170. Print. Read More