Assess At Least Three Key Technology Trends That Raise Ethical Issues. Give An Example Of An Ethical Or Moral Impact Connected To Each One?

Technology trends can raise ethical issues; examples of three key technology trends that trigger such debates include:

• Social networking

• Cell phones

• Video games

• Social Networking May Impact Privacy

As social networking becomes more widespread, via applications such as Facebook and Twitter, many people wonder about their impact on the right to privacy. After all, Facebook administrators are privy to all manner of data regarding the people who create profiles on their website; this data may also appear in Internet search results, impacting privacy.

While the privacy settings on Facebook or Twitter may be adjusted, there is always a chance that co-workers, employers, and others may view information that they are not supposed to see. For some, Facebook and Twitter represent a trend toward overall loss of privacy on the World Wide Web.

• Cell Phones May Increase The Risk Of Cancer

The link between cell phone usage and an increased risk of cancer has been studied - while certain researchers feel that the risk is negligible, others are certain that the use of cell phones is very unhealthy. In the future, it's possible that even more detrimental effects from using cell phones may trigger ethical concerns. At the moment, there are also ethical concerns about texting while driving, and other unsafe actions taken by cell phone users. The poor etiquette practiced by younger generations, who seem "glued" to their cell phones, at the expense of old-fashioned manners, also raises ethical questions.

• Video Games Portray A Violent And Crime-Ridden Reality

Video games are now more realistic than ever before, and the violence and crime portrayed in these fantasy games or first-person shooters is morally offensive to many people. Video games are rated, just as films are - some games, such as Dante's Inferno, or Grand Theft Auto, are only for older teens and adults, as they present ultra-violent and disturbing subject matter throughout their "storylines".

The link between video game violence and real-life violence is debated by those who support (or detest) video games; whether these digital adventures contribute to a more violent and desensitized youth is an ethical question that continues to worry many people.