Social and Ethical Issues in Technology

Social and Ethical Issues in Technology

            Various articles provide different definitions on what technology entails. In this case, technology is the gathering of the abilities used to carry out tasks with determined results, techniques, processes as well as methods vital for the production of services and goods or similarly, or in the accomplishment of goals such as the development of science (Sargolzaei & Nikbakht, 2017). A simplified form of technology is the use and development of tools and machines, mechanisms and systems aimed at solving the problems in the society (Cyberstates, 2018). The most common and widely known form of technology is information technology where computers are used in storing, retrieving, transmitting as well as manipulation of data or information. It forms part of information and communication technology as a whole. Despite its use as a poecilonym for computer networks and computers, it entails other techniques of information distribution for instance telephones as well as television sets (Hilbert & Lopez, 2011). The aim of this research paper is to determine the social and ethical concerns resulting from technological advancement in the 21^st century. The hypothesis to be tested by this research is proving online addiction has the highest percentage as one of the ethical and social issues.

Humans have really benefited from the new advancements in the field of science and information technology. Despite this tremendous advancement, it has been noted that new technological advancements are always associated with ethical limitations and issues (Postigo, 2016). The current era which is similarly referred to as the digital age, the society has proven to be dependent on computers in all its affair and operations and for this reason, morals in this field need to be considered (McBrearty, McKelvey & Curran, 2012). The research provides strong ethical and social issues as a result of the advancement in technology that needs to be addressed.

According to Postigo, (2016), educational environments tend to lack scientific integrity and it is these educational environments that form the highest percentage in terms of technology use.  Among students, illegal downloading of software is very common following the continued development and growth of the internet. Other activities in such classes include the violation of personal privacy and abuse of personal data. These activities tend to have a negative effect on their academic performance as well as their lifestyle. In addition, the condition required for accessing restricted sites have been overlooked at and are becoming easier hence reducing the mean age of those expected to visit the sites. Exposure to such unethical sites is associated with the dangers of sexual behavior, psychological a well as mental problems (Reddy & Reddy, 2012).

McBrearty, McKelvey & Curran, (2012), argue that a huge percentage of users of technology users have been exposed to IT abnormalities, moral damage as well as social abnormalities as a result of virtual identities. Internet addiction and excessive use of social networks have been considered as one of the consequences of the rising harm to individuals, families, and societies at large which is against the standards and expectations of physical communities (Sargolzaei & Nikbakht, 2017).

Hacking which is the activity of accessing unauthorized information from a restricted site, account or organization through the use of different methods is one of the downfalls of advancement in technology (Young & Garett, 2018). In the digital era, hackers have caused a great challenge against the ethics of IT. Due to a widespread violation, hackers have made several attempts to influence commercial entities to violate and betray individuals’ privacy for their personal gain. Hackers have also been attributed to aggressive antisocial behavior as well as violent in nature.

Studies have shown that internet addiction has resulted in negligence of basic parts of life such as work, and academic achievements. The research paper proves that from the data obtained from the research; about 40% of the employees make use of the internet for the set standards and goals for the organization. Some of the non-work activities that employees engage in include chat rooms, sports and betting websites among others.

Methodology

The main measuring tools, variables, and indicators that aided in the collection of the data required for the research included the use of questionnaires, observation, and interviews. Data processing techniques such as tabulation were employed for purposes of understanding the raw data collected.

The questionnaires to be used for the study were designed to consider all unethical cases among students and workers at a private level. The questionnaires contained two sections in which one of the sections was open-ended where the respondents would give more details and feedback on IT while the remaining section was closed where respondents answered yes or no questions.

An observation was carried out in cyber cafes, play station gaming zones and checking the history on the web browser to determine the age of those visiting those places in particular. The aim of this tool of data collection was to determine the websites commonly visited by the public. Interviews, on the other hand, were carried out but the turnout was minimal as most of the students and workers were unwilling to participate in a face to face interview. The findings of the research were tabulated as shown below.

A pie chart showing the various percentages of the ethical issues as from the study

A comparison of the several sets in the society suffering from the negativities of technology is represented below.

According to the data provided from the study, it is possible to conclude that online gambling is not the leading ethical issue arising from the advancement in technology. Anti-religious propaganda in the cyberspace recorded the highest mean of 9.97 among all other ethical issues and the least recording an average of 7.32 which was the formation and spreading of false news. Students assert that in most public and private universities, in the cyber space, anti-religious influence is quite common.

Undergraduate students have proven to be the most affected group or members of the public holding an average of 55%. This implies that the negative attitude towards education and academic excellence is solely based on internet and technology addiction by activities such as social network addiction in sites such as Facebook and Twitter and playing of video games. One of the major reasons as to why this group holds the highest percentage is due to peer influence from fellow students.

Conclusion

The research evaluates the social and ethical issues in the 21^st century related with technology and from the conducted research; the outcome of this study research can be used to further investigate on the trend and how to manage the ethical issues. However, a set of policies, strategies, and goals can be put in place by the various administrative bodies to ensure control of the unethical activities relating to technology.

References

CompTIA | Cyberstates 2016. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.comptia.org/resources/cyberstates-2016. Pg. 1

Hilbert, M., & Lopez, P. (2011). The World’s Technological Capacity to Store, Communicate, and Compute Information. Science, 332(6025), pg. 7. doi: 10.1126/science.1200970

McBrearty, S., McKelvey, N., & Curran, K. (2012). Legal, Ethical & Social Issues in the case of an Intrusive Remote Monitoring Software. International Journal Of Information And Network Security (IJINS), 1(4). Pg 4 doi: 10.11591/ijins.v1i4.1423

Postigo, H. (2016). Social Media and BBC News. Journal Of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 60(2), pg. 2. doi: 10.1080/08838151.2016.1165222

Reddy, D., & Reddy, G. (2012). Understanding of Social and Ethical Issues. International Journal Of Scientific Research, 3(3), pg. 2. doi: 10.15373/22778179/march2014/154

Sargolzaei, E., & Nikbakht, M. (2017). The Ethical and Social Issues of Information Technology: A Case Study. International Journal Of Advanced Computer Science And Applications, 8(10).  Pg 5doi: 10.14569/ijacsa.2017.081019

Young, S., & Garett, R. (2018). Ethical Issues in Addressing Social Media Posts About Suicidal Intentions During an Online Study Among Youth: Case Study. JMIR Mental Health, 5(2), e33. Pg. 6 doi: 10.2196/mental.8971