Is Ethical Decision Making New in our Modern Media Age?

If one watches television news shows or talk shows one can easily come to the conclusion that “anything goes” in the world of personal media. The recent election of a United States president who tweets has made it a topic for conversation. Still, concerns about bullying and sexting are worthwhile topics on “old school” media today as well. One wonders if we are living in a new age of media where all of the former questions of ethical decision making are outmoded.

We used to be concerned about whether what we would post on Facebook or on any other public personal media would come home to haunt us. Would that picture of us “partying” or our taking a political position lead us to have a hard time getting a job where people are sensitive about these areas of life? What if someone came to a conclusion about us through our association with other people or groups that are connected to our posts? With so much of our lives out there for others to see, how can we maintain an ethical life that is consistent with our beliefs and who we are?

Perhaps we need to have a personal ethical statement for how we approach personal social media. At least we need some principles for our use. I would begin with following the aphorism “to yourself be true.” Whatever you post or write it should be consistent with the personal moral values that you practice in all of life. If you post on social media, you don’t have the opportunity to explain a picture with “of course I maintained my personal two drink limit” or “I did not drink and drive.” If you take a strong stand that attacks another person or persons, you better be able to handle any consequences that result from that attack. Above all, “to your self be true” means that you won’t get so carried away by your emotions or your desire to win another’s approval by not staying true to who you are.

Second, apply the “next morning rule.” Don’t post or send anything that you cannot live with after a good night’s sleep. Of course, I can go farther with this and say that you ought not to do anything at any time that isn’t within your moral code of behavior. But particularly in your use of social media and texting, there should be a consistency between what you live in the light of day and that which happens in the shady hours of the night.

Finally, in social media and texting, one should always ask “what are the consequences of such an entry?” Considering the consequences means more than for us. It means that we ought to consider the consequences on other people and even consider the consequences if everyone did what we did.

Are we in a different era of communication? Yes. Is everything new in our ethics relating to it? No. No matter how “hot” or immediate our use of media is, it still comes back to “being true to our self, following principles for living this aspect of our lives, and considering the consequences on others each time we make a new choice. Truly this approach to ethics is as “old as the hills,” but as new and relevant as ever.