Who Regulates Ethics in the Virtual World?

Abstract

This paper attempts to give an insight into emerging ethical issues due to the increased usage of the Internet in our lives. We discuss three main theoretical approaches relating to the ethics involved in the information technology (IT) era: first, the use of IT as a tool; second, the use of social constructivist methods; and third, the approach of phenomenologists. Certain aspects of ethics and IT have been discussed based on a phenomenological approach and moral development. Further, ethical issues related to social networking sites are discussed. A plausible way to make the virtual world ethically responsive is collective responsibility which proposes that society has the power to influence but not control behavior in the virtual world.

Ethical Considerations in Designing Virtual and Augmented Reality Products—Virtual and Augmented Reality Design With Students in Mind: Designers’ Perceptions

“…When VR/AR designers and developers are in the developing and designing phase of curriculum, consideration of social constructivism as means to ground the work and the composition of the final product that is desired by the consumer may be considered. Social constructivism suggests that there is a connection between societal factors (i.e., cultural, political, and economic) and the implementation of and technology in our lives (Sharma et al., 2015). The marriage of technology and the implicit use by the end user may lead to a possible dilemma in the ethics of care by VR/AR designers and developers.…”

“…The manner in which developers and designers incorporate VR/AR technology affordances to create content may be seen as influenced by ethical judgments as to what is socially acceptable use (Behr et al., 2005; Sharma et al., 2015). Codes of ethics may be limited and may not be normally stipulated in the world of VR/AR design.…”

“…When translated to a learning environment, such factors may impact the ethical decisions that are part of the design development progress for curriculum implementation and direct application in the classroom. This dilemma may result, if not kept in check, to shape individual users’ morals and ethics within the virtual worlds created (Madary & Metzinger, 2016; Sharma et al., 2015).…”

Proliferation of Social Computing: Cultural Computing Paradigm

“…Considering the impact of social computing on human beings, in general, and civilization as a whole, there is a need to direct and understand the interrelationship between society and technology [17].…”

The effects of sociocultural factors on the information ethics of undergraduate students

“…Ethics converges with science in the ultimate goals of systematizing, explaining and predicting human experience in the real world (Bynum, 2006). Within various cultures, ethical theories have been developed from influential philosophies to construct the standard frameworks by which behaviour is regulated within the norms of a societal context (Bynum, 2006; Sharma et al , 2015). Information ethics (IE) has emerged as a distinct realm of ethical and philosophical investigation.…”