Technology Ethics Scenario #4

[Doug Johnson <dougj@DOUG-JOHNSON.COM>]

****************************
Please feel free to forward these scenarios to your teaching staff for
use in classroom discussions. Previous ethical scenarios can be found at
<http://www.doug-johnson.com/ethics/> along with a list of links to
other resources about technology ethics.
****************************

Scenario #4
Adele "meets" Frank, who shares her interest in figure skating, in an
Internet chat room. After several conversations in the following weeks,
Frank asks Adele for her home telephone number and address.

Questions
Whose privacy is at risk?
What danger or discomfort might the unethical or unwise action cause?
Is there a safe plan of action Adele might take to meet Frank?
Is there a parallel in the physical world to this scenario?
Can you think of other incidents that would fall into this category?

Comments
All individuals need to know that a stranger is a stranger, whether on
the playground or on the Internet. The same rules we teach children
about physical strangers apply to virtual strangers as well. The fact
that we cannot get clues to a person from his or her physical appearance
(age, dress, gender) adds to the difficulty in judging the new person.

How might Adele find out if Frank is a person whom she would like as a
friend? Most groups with whom I have worked conclude that Adele needs to
meet Frank in a public place accompanied by a trusted adult or group of
friends (depending on her age). She could ask Frank for his phone number
and call him, but some telephone services now record the number of the
incoming call. In any event, Adele should not reveal any personal
information to Frank until she knows that he has been representing
himself fairly.

Resources
SafeKids.Com <www.safekids.com> produced by the Online Safety Project
has a discussion of safety issues, including privacy issues.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Internet Safety
Guidelines <www.missingkids.com/cybertip>

The FBI's Parent Guide to Internet Safety
<www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguide.htm>

****************************
Please feel free to forward these scenarios to your teaching staff for
use in classroom discussions. Previous ethical scenarios can be found at
<http://www.doug-johnson.com/ethics/> along with a list of links to
other resources about technology ethics.
****************************
Doug Johnson, Director of Media and Technology
I.S.D. 77, Mankato Public Schools
E-mail: dougj@doug-johnson.com, Web: www.doug-johnson.com
"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."
Mark Twain

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