Ethical use refers to using information properly with community values.
In the context of social media, ethical use refers to using social media responsibly, by sharing truthful and non-harmful information.
It also refers to using it in a harmless and respectful way. This means you are not trying to invade people’s private information or disinform them.
Social media’s role in contemporary society is pretty big, as most people are on social media at least a couple times a week.
According to insegment.com, social media’s role in society is used for communication, sharing information, entertainment, and getting ideas online.
Many people use social media to connect with family and friends.
Most people scroll through social media apps for entertainment, however as they do this they are getting a lot of new ideas and information through that.
Information travels a lot quicker when it comes to social media than in person.
An example of a positive use of social media is family checking up on each other on Instagram, or a person learning a new skill through a tutorial on Youtube.
Its role is huge through many positives and negatives, however there is one thing we cannot argue, its that social media changes most of our lives.
The ethical use of social media is an important topic for discussion because it teaches people what are the right things to do when it comes to using social media.
It also shows the positives when it comes to using them.
Overall the reason it's a very important topic for discussion is that it teaches people the right way, which can make the internet a safer and more trustworthy place.
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Social media platforms handle your data in many ways, depending on which social media you are using.
Most social media collect your data from the information you filled out when creating your account.
This includes name, age, date of birth, email, and phone number.
Platforms also use cookies and analyze trends from the user to recommend videos that are more relevant to what the user has been seeing.
They can also use this to advertise things that are more interesting towards the user.
An interesting point has been brought up by Alex Manning on Quora, he states that,”In some cases, social media platforms share user data with third parties, such as advertisers, developers, or business partners.
This can be for targeted advertising, analytics, or other purposes. Users may or may not have control over how their data is shared in these instances.”
This shows that companies do leak your information to third parties, however most companies do not leak important information, however that is not all companies.
However, companies are obligated to protect the user's important information.
They handle this by using authentication checks and using secure channels to transmit the users data. Some companies can sell your information to scammers and other sources.
There are many issues online, as not all of it is monitored. An example of this is data mining.
Data mining is when a huge chunk of data is analyzed to discover patterns, trends, and information that will benefit the app.
According to IBM, this can be beneficial for the app, as it can determine what needs to be worked on and it can give them suggestions for advertising.
However, it is an issue. This is because it risks the user for a security breach. This is because of risks of the information being leaked or sold.
If this happens, tons of information will be let out for others to mess with. Surveillance is also another big issue.
This is mainly done through the government and the people who own the app. Surveillance on social media is when they track a user’s activity on social media.
This can be through their profile, what they’re liking, commenting, sharing, and even what they are watching.
It's done so that companies can get useful information, so that they can recommend new videos that fit your search.
Surveillance is an issue, as information is leaked to others. This can be through comments.
An example from aclu.org shows that a person from Lebanon was denied starting his first year at Harvard due to his political views and what his friends said online.
It can hurt many people due to the fact that it can be used to deny immigration, or be used for blackmail.
The potential misuse of personal information could be from accidental leaks, hackers, and other things.
This can be that companies accidentally leak too much information to third party sources.
They can also get hacked, causing all their information to be stolen. Another potential misuse can be giving the information to the wrong type of people.
An example of ethical dilemmas related to privacy on social media is that the government’s data dissemination can vary based on what they do with the information.
Some can also argue that due to the terms and conditions, the platform is allowed to go through private information, even knowing that it goes past the user’s rights.
They need to find a middle ground between the two sides, however nobody wants to settle.
Another example of an ethical dilemma relating to privacy is that you don’t know the user’s wishes for their privacy.
For example, even if the social media wants to take information to better their app, what if the person doesn’t feel comfortable with that due to the hacking.
There is a fight based on if the company should be allowed to take the information, as it is their right, however it is the person’s right to also keep their private information secret.
Another issue is that some information that was deleted on a post, still remains on the files.
This is an ethical dilemma, as the people think that it's their right for it to be deleted, but it is also the company’s right to keep it. The company thinks they are entitled to it because they own it.
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Addiction and comparison that happens on the platform can significantly lower your mental health.
Mcleanhospital.org clearly states that, "The platforms are designed to be addictive and are associated with anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments."
This shows that it can severly damage your health based on how you use social media.
It can significantly lower your health due to the constant rush of dopamine. However some people get addicted to social media, causing them to be dependent on it.
When people get addicted, they spend more time on their phones rather than doing productive activity. Some people’s mental health can lower due to social comparison.
This is because they compare themselves to people online. This can even make them feel bad about themselves and think that they are not good enough.
This can cause depression and other mental health issues. Cyberbullying can also ruin mental health, as it causes people to be insecure, anxious, and other negative activities.
This is due to the abuse, doxing, and other malicious activities.
Social media greatly affects mental health positively and negatively depending on the way you use it.
Social media can positively affect mental health through communication with loved ones and being able to check up on family members.
This is because social media removes barriers, such as the distance people are away. People can also get new fun ideas to try out.
However social media affects mental health negatively. When people see their friends doing fun stuff without them, it makes them feel jealous and it makes them feel unwelcome.
Negative comments can also ruin a person’s self esteem. The fact of not having followers could also ruin it.
The ethical responsibility of social media platforms in addressing issues of mental decrease is that the company should incorporate features dealing with cyberbullying.
This can be a report button and a better team that could address issues back to the user.
Their ethical responsibility should be to have a team of people overviewing the community, making sure that people who are spreading malicious content and messages are punished.
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In the topic of dissemination of information, the role of social media is like an online newspaper.
Many people get most of their information from social media, as information travels through posts, videos, and stories. This is mostly for the younger audience.
However, more people are slowly being pulled into the internet, as it is being used everywhere. Information travels like a wild fire on the internet and social media compared to newspapers.
This is due to many people posting stories and information. Social media makes dissemination of information a lot quicker, this is because at the click of a button, it can be sent to many people.
Since social media posts are not backed up by credible sources, there is a lot of misinformation online.
The ethical implications of misinformation can be altered due to trends online, and to obtain online fame.
People start to believe misinformation if someone famous posts it.
An example of an unethical implication is if someone spreads false news just for fun or wants to cause mischief.
An ethical implication of spreading misinformation is that if someone spreads false information to be positive or supportive of someone else online.
They could try to hide them from the truth. It can also be accidental, if someone spreads it without knowing that they are wrong.
Even if misinformation was an accident, misinformation online is still morally wrong and it could give people false ideas.
However the person technically has the freedom to speak however they want. The ethical responsibility of the platform however, is to take down the post.
It goes back and forth, due to each moral judgment. That the user has the right to keep it up, but the website has the right to take it down.
Social media and platforms and users can combat misinformation through verification checks.
For example a moderator or admin of the platform can check text. If it is correct information, an admin can give the post a verification mark, symbolizing that it is trustworthy information.
Users can also report users who give false information, and can comment, saying that the person is wrong. If users report false information, moderators can see it, and take that information down.
I feel like these three ways are the biggest help to combating misinformation online.
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Social media can affect relationships positively and negatively.
According to mcleanhospital.org, it can affect relationships positively through connection, as people can connect with friends and family, as they can check up on each other, and send each other messages.
They could even call on video with each other. This can extremely help if some family or friends live far apart, which can improve your relationship with them.
We can also develop a better relationship with others due to common interests and hobbies. Sharing hobbies and interests online could deepen relationships.
You might find something fun to do together. It can also lead to romantic relationships, as you can meet your partner online. However, social media doesn’t always positively affect relationships.
There's a negative side to it. Social media can distract others from communicating in person, which could lead to relationships weakening.
Also posts online could ruin relationships, as some people could feel left out if their friend posted them hanging out with others.
Also social media can ruin romantic relationships because some people might think someone is cheating if they like another girl's posts.
Also social media posts can make you feel insecure and jealous, if you think someone is living better then you through their posts.
Some ethical considerations in online interactions is to have digital citizenship.
This is important to have online because the internet is an ugly place.
Digital citizenship refers to using the internet and social media responsibly.
Some ethics are to be respectful to others and don’t have any malicious intent in what you are saying or doing online.
Having respect is one ethic you should follow in online interactions because it promotes more of a welcoming environment.
Having empathy in online interactions is a great way to have ethics on the internet.
You never know what someone is going through, so showing signs of being empathetic could comfort someone, even if you do not know them.
Having basic digital citizenship means you use the internet responsibly. This means that you don’t spread misinformation and you respect people on the internet.
Having more people like this would make the internet a better place.
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I use social media a lot actually. I use it to communicate with my friends and to scroll online, however I do not post or say anything publicly.
I mostly use Youtube and Instagram. I can apply ethical principles to my online behavior by making sure that I remain respectful online and watch what I say.
I can also make sure that I am not spreading false information and make sure that I can report false information if I see it.
Some steps that I can take to make sure my social media use is respectful and responsible to others is to always check what I say before posting it.
If I decide to post something, it is important to check it to make sure that it won’t bother someone. Or, I could just avoid posting anything at all.
Personally, I would just not comment or do anything, just to be respectful of others. I can also make sure that I don’t post any misinformation online.
I should also ask for consent before posting a picture with somebody else in it.
I found a lot of new information when it came to the ethical use of social media.
We researched and learned what is an ethical use when it comes to social media, as well as issues with how social media’s handle user data.
I learned about data mining. We also learned how social media can lower mental health through negative comments, addiction, cyberbullying, and isolation.
It can also increase mental health through connection with family and friends. We also learned how information is spread throughout social media and how some of the information spread is fake.
We also came up with ways to solve this issue. Finally, we learned about the relationship between relationships and ethical considerations.
To promote ethical practices, I would recommend that social media users would be mindful of what they are posting, as well as report any misinformation online.
They can also just have digital citizenship online, which would greatly improve social media’s environment.
If more people started to be kind on the internet, I think people would follow.
SFor platforms to promote ethical practices, I would recommend that they would implement a verified badge that would be next to correct information.
This way people can actually trust that the post is right. Social media can also enforce their terms and policies to make sure that people stay respectful online.
This is how users and the platform can create a safe and respectful environment online.
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