ETHICS AND VALUES IN THE ICT INDUSTRY

 

Introduction:

Over the last couple of years there has been a growth about the environmental concern for the well-being of our planet. Due to this, associations, campaigns, activities, among many other things have been created, with the purpose of being able to achieve a change and prevent the place where we live from becoming uninhabitable.

The counterpart:

Despite that many people are willing to make a change, there is a counterpart to this issue that does not give the required attention to this common problem, from mega-industries to society in general. The amount of people willing to make a change it’s not going to be enough towards the problem we’re facing. It’s mentioned in every text related to this topic:

“Municipal waste is a source of water pollution second in importance only to industrial wastes. In the United States more than 20,000 municipal wastewater facilities discharge into rivers and streams. streams. Around the turn of the century, most discharges from municipalities received no treatment whatsoever.” (Vesilind, Peirce, Weiner, 1990, p.16).

It’s everyone’s problem:

We are facing a situation that has been among us for decades, “likewise, we now recognize that global problems such as the depletion of the ozone layer and the destruction of forests in the Amazon basin can result in permanent harm to us or to our progeny” (Vesilind, Peirce, Weiner, 1990, p.360).

Despite the clear, there are many other reasons why many choose to look in the other way, thinking that small actions like throwing a bottle in the street or burning a bit of garbage would do nothing because it is "just once", "as if the world was going to end ". What these people don't know is that there are many more who think the same which causes that small actions were to become something potentially disastrous.

Perception and awareness:

On the other hand, ethics and values have a great influence because many companies decide to step aside and do nothing since economically speaking, there are millions involved, and since this affects them directly, they rather leave in the way that things are. Before an average person, this is not very ethical; the values of empathy and responsibility are not present, they let greed consume them for their own good. In that regard, the ICT, ethics, and values could manage to create awareness in the perspective to guarantee an inclusive human development. Simplice, Sara, Nicholas (2017).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, evidently, we are facing a problem that exceeds our dimension due to the damage that we have all contributed, but we still have a small spark of hope if we become aware of this situation instead of denying it or justifying ourselves for our own actions. It is worth dreaming but, we need to be more realistic, we can use ICT tools to raise awareness about this problem and perhaps achieve a change in society. Otherwise, everyone can start with small actions that together can make a difference.