Ethical and societal challenges of information technology

Abstract

Today in many developing countries insufficient progress in science and technology is considered to be the chief reason for general backwardness; on the contrary, many in the industrially advanced societies hold unfettered technological progress as the roots of all social ills. We are currently living in the so-called information age, which can be described as an era where economic activities are mainly information based. One can deduce that ethical decisions concerning technology are becoming a major concern for technologist, society, and the environment. The decisions that one makes will always have consequences. Those consequences will have an impact; either positive or negative. Rapid change is occurring, inequitably, with difference of opinion on how best to respond and what solutions to implement. But one thing that perhaps can be agreed to by all is that education does need to adapt to the changes at least as they are occurring. Current educational philosophies support processes which facilitate students development of willingness to experiment, comprehension of abstract concepts, advanced skills of problem solving, reasoning, awareness of social justice and ecological-sustainability issues, all within a framework of integration of technology in cross-curricular activities. It is obvious that individuals or organizations that are not accepting the ethical responsibility for their actions cause many of the detrimental effects of information technology. Like other powerful technologies, information technology possesses the potential for great harm or great good for all humankind. Hence, Ethics and Technology are becoming different aspects of the same function.