Currents

Ethical Advice for the Computer Age

Volume 4 / Issue 1 / Fall 2003

Young people often have a hard time deciding which behaviors are right or wrong in the virtual world. Author Doug Johnson explains that “many don’t see their online actions [as] having the same significance as actions in the real world. Plus, the perceived low-risk and often game-like nature of the online world can encourage children to go beyond their normal ethical boundaries.” Johnson’s new resource guide, Learning Right from Wrong in the Digital Age: An Ethics Guide for Parents, Teachers, Librarians, and Others Who Care about Computer-Using Young People, published this year by Linworth, contains numerous scenarios and discussion questions about such issues as privacy, property, and appropriate use and focuses on teaching and promoting ethical behaviors on the Internet.