The purpose of this contribution is to develop an exploratory framework to analyse the ethical implications of the adoption of emerging digital technologies (EDT) by society. We posit that the exponential growth and dynamics of change of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data and the Internet of Things, among others, are of such magnitude and depth that many of the phenomena generated in the process of adopting these technologies have not been studied with sufficient breadth, scrutiny and critical analysis, particularly in the contexts of emerging economies. In order to develop the proposed framework, we draw on the principles of complex systems to analyse the interactions of relevant agents of the digital ecosystem under study. Our exploration identified a set of strongly related implications circumscribed to education, ethical and moral development, and regulation. It is suggested that the proposed framework may provide an initial platform for formal discussions and conversations towards understanding and applying EDT in a balanced and ethical manner.