Moral Responsibility and Computer Technology.

Noting a recent increase in the number of cases of computer crime and computer piracy, this paper takes up the question, "How can understanding the social context of computing help us--as parents, educators, and members of government and industry--to educate young people to become morally responsible members of an electronic information community?" Four central characteristics of computer innovations are identified that may contribute to the difficulty of responsible computer use: increased physical and temporal distance of the actor to the consequences of a computer-mediated action, the delegation of decision making to the computer, the initial absence of pervasive social conventions governing computer use, and cultural inexperience with technological innovation. Drawing on this analysis, parameters for an educational approach to promote responsible computer use are outlined. It is argued that such an approach must: (1) make visible (as opposed to hiding) the consequences of computer-mediated actions; (2) help students understand that people control the use of technology (including where and for what purposes technology is used); (3) help students to identify and clarify the conventional aspects of computer use; and (4) stimulate students to develop a watchful eye for unanticipated consequences or abuses of computer use. The paper concludes with a brief description of a strategy for applying these guidelines in the classroom using student self-governance to resolve many of the social issues that concern their use of computers. (19 references) (GL)