Creating an information society: The ethical dimensions and proper usage

The Information Society should respect peace and uphold the fundamental values of equality, solidarity, tolerance, shared responsibility and respect for nature and acknowledge the importance of ethics for the Information Society, which should foster justice and the dignity and worth of the human person.

All actors in the Information Society should take appropriate actions and preventive measures, as determined by law, against abusive uses of ICTs, such as illegal and other acts motivated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, hatred, violence, all forms of child abuse, including paedophilia and child pornography and trafficking in, and exploitation of, human beings.

In the sobering aftermath of the telecommunication boom of the end of the 1990s, perhaps the positive lesson being drawn by the industry and governments is that they both have a responsibility to ensure that the benefits of the information and communication technologies (ICT) are economic and social.

But the ICT revolution also brings with it a number of hazards, which can pose a serious danger to those most at risk. Therefore, the widest possible protection should be accorded to the family and to enable it to play its crucial role in society.

This article is adapted from an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) case study on broadband in the Republic of Korea, which, as one of the world's groundbreaking information societies offers a privileged view of what the information society of the future might look like.

The Republic of Korea has already been grappling with some of the adverse effects of intensive ICT penetration, particularly among its youth, and has already mounted measures to counteract these effects and help those affected. Insights provided from its example may not only prove interesting to specialists elsewhere, but may hopefully help others minimise the risks to their own societies.

While the Republic of Korea's ICT developments have brought economic and social progress, it is not all a bed of roses: thorns of different shapes and sizes have surfaced. One example is online game addiction, which has become a major problem. The excessive use of online games is particularly noticeable among teenagers and young adults, who play at home or at one of the 25,000 personal computer (PC) "bangs" (online game rooms).

The dangers of cyberculture

One user died in a PC bang after three days of continuous games playing, so engrossed in the game that he forgot to eat, drink, or sleep. This illustrates how cyberlife can sometimes be more gripping than real life, and that even when surrounded by other people, isolation and vulnerability present real risks. In recognition of this kind of problem, the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) of Korea has established a "Centre of Internet Addiction Prevention and Counselling" to help combat the problem.

The centre is equipped with group and individual counselling rooms and provides free advice to addicts. It also has plans to focus its programme on the prevention of addiction. Parents and teenagers alike will be addressed and will be able to attend lectures on the topic.

While this example may be an extreme one, the cybercafé and games culture has other less flagrant, but potentially harmful consequences for children. Who knows how unhealthy it is for young people to spend several hours a day in front of a PC screen? The strain put on the eyes, the brain and ears have not yet been fully studied.

And the growing propensity for young people to remain sedentary for long periods of time may entail long-term health risks, the repercussions of which may become more apparent in the future.

Is cyberculture sowing the seeds of a society in which people may become detached from their psychological and physical well-being, or may become socially dysfunctional?

The signs are that PC bangs and online games are indeed modifying social interaction. They allow people to pretend to be someone completely different. Although just a game, how much will real life become a pale shadow of the exciting virtual world? In such cases, the temptation to escape into another world is not helping young people adapt to their real-life circumstances.

Content-related issues

Content-related problems are not a uniquely Korean phenomenon. Stories about paedophile or racist sites have appeared in many countries. But a country like the Republic of Korea, with ubiquitous access, is probably even more vulnerable to harmful sites.

A Korean children's portal carried out a survey and found that more and more youngsters were affected by adult content websites. The survey (which addressed children under 13 years of age) revealed that 28 per cent of the respondents had access to adult websites. Some 53 per cent accidentally came across these sites and 32 per cent accessed them through spam or unsolicited e-mails. Some 85 per cent of those youngsters surveyed said that spam was a serious problem.

The Korean Government has also organised several campaigns on ethical awareness.

Conclusion

The particular situation of the Republic of Korea as a leading and groundbreaking Internet-connected population means that it has very few countries it can look to for advice. Conversely, as it is already grappling with the issue, other countries that are starting to experiment with broadband access will be able to learn from its experience and, hopefully, to forestall many of the adverse social effects.

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Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin