Ethics is a reflection on morality. It refers to the
principles of right and wrong in making choices by individuals. It has
been described as the art and science that seeks to bring sensitivity
and methods to the discernment of moral values (Carbo, 2006). Thus,
ethics guide human and societal behavior. Capuro (2006) had no
difficulty in asserting that ethics is an unending quest on explicit and
implicit use of the moral code.
The subject of social and ethical
implications of Information and Communication technology has been
addressed in the literature. As noted by Carbo (2006) ethical
considerations for ICT related issues first appeared under the topic
‘’information ethics’’ in the Annual Review of Information Science and
Technology in 1992. This suggests that there is an ethical agenda
associated with the use of ICT. Individuals and organisations therefore
need to be ethically sensitive as they deploy ICT on their operations.
The impact of ICT on human relationship has been tremendous. ICT has
helped to enhance family relationship (e.g. mobile phones, palmtops,
laptops, virtual conferencing and so on), as well help to separate
family and friends from each other. ICT has enabled new friendship and
relationships in virtual communities. How genuine are such relationship?
What does it portend for individual satisfaction? In the workplace for
instance, new kinds of jobs are being created such as data miners,
web-counselors etc, but these opportunities are also endangered by
problems of unemployment from computer replacing humans. A wide range of
new laws, regulations, rules and practices are therefore needed if
society is to manage these workplace and other changes and development
brought about by ICT. Thus the society need to consider the following
ethical and social challenges related to ICT use:
The subject of social and ethical
implications of Information and Communication technology has been
addressed in the literature. As noted by Carbo (2006) ethical
considerations for ICT related issues first appeared under the topic
‘’information ethics’’ in the Annual Review of Information Science and
Technology in 1992. This suggests that there is an ethical agenda
associated with the use of ICT. Individuals and organisations therefore
need to be ethically sensitive as they deploy ICT on their operations.
The impact of ICT on human relationship has been tremendous. ICT has
helped to enhance family relationship (e.g. mobile phones, palmtops,
laptops, virtual conferencing and so on), as well help to separate
family and friends from each other. ICT has enabled new friendship and
relationships in virtual communities. How genuine are such relationship?
What does it portend for individual satisfaction? In the workplace for
instance, new kinds of jobs are being created such as data miners,
web-counselors etc, but these opportunities are also endangered by
problems of unemployment from computer replacing humans. A wide range of
new laws, regulations, rules and practices are therefore needed if
society is to manage these workplace and other changes and development
brought about by ICT. Thus the society need to consider the following
ethical and social challenges related to ICT use:
