#1 Navigating the Ethical Landscape of Teenage Cyberworlds
Row and Sweeney's PBS show Growing up Online provides a window into how the web
is reconstructing day-to-day existence for kids who have been online since birth. In this situation,
13-year-old boy Clay Calamity also becomes a focus point. This illustrates how immersive
internet engagement can be at times. This documentary portrays Clay's active participation in
MySpace, with him joining fellow teenagers to help build a web-based space of self-expression
and socialization for themselves.
However, as the film proceeds, ethical issues arise; mirror-artlocker notes that this is one
of the many unchecked spaces for teens to talk freely and try on different identities. However,
this unstructured atmosphere also contains potential dangers. They include online bullying and
the spread of harmful material, as well as interaction with internet predators who seek to abuse
children sexually or financially. Interestingly, more and more of their socialization today occurs
in cyberspace, changing faster than parents or educators can follow.
A communication gap The documentary presents a conceptual problem, distinguishing
the chasm between parents and teachers on one side and teenagers on the other regarding online
activities. John Halligan, who appears as a parent in the program, acknowledges that he is
unaware of his son's Internet friends, alluding to policy gaps due to insufficient laws regulating
rapidly changing communications technology. For this reason, we must encourage parents,
educators, and policymakers to talk things through with the teenagers. Only in that way will they
be able to introduce new safety regulations. Meanwhile, an article on CNN Business reveals the
activism of Encode Justice, a global organization mostly made up of high schoolers who promote
responsible uses of artificial intelligence. Sneha Revanur, the 16-year-old founder of Encode
Justice, articulates the group's mission: We are fighting to emerge into a future where technology
can help, not harm (Metz, 2021). Encoding Justice centers on ethical dilemmas created by
applications of artificial intelligence such as facial recognition software and deepfakes that
prompt people through lobbying efforts, online seminars, or collaborations with established civil
rights organizations to voice objections about the harm being done.
Reference
Metz, R. (2021, September 29). These high school students are fighting for ethical AI. CNN;
CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/29/tech/ethical-ai-youth-activists-encodejustice/index.html