By ALANNA ANUSZEWSKI
Contributing Writer
A panel of Saint Rose students has proposed that a code of ethics should be put in place regarding social media. Social media has been under the spotlight recently because it is relatively new and it’s not certain what the positive and negative effects that it can have on a person are.
The sixth annual Student Ethics Forum took place on last Wednesday afternoon in the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary. “Who(se) am I?: Social Media and Personal Identity” was the topic at this particular forum.
The main point of the forum was to get people thinking about what they post online. Social media is good, but in moderation.
A panel of three students shared their views on social media. Professor Michael Brannigan shared some opening remarks, and Priscilla Ly, the president of Philosophy Club, moderated the panel.
“Social media’s impact on the world has been profound,” said Wayde D.H. Dazelle, a philosophy major. He discussed the use of social media as a “tool.”
Dazelle shared a few statistics, such as the fact that 81 percent of Internet-initiated crime uses social media.
“Social media can be used the wrong way, but we use social media for good things too,” said Dazelle. He suggested that a code of ethics should be created for social media and the Internet.
Jacob Barkman, an undecided major, talked about about how social media is a “society” rather than a “tool.” His main point was that nowadays people can live in multiple different societies because of social media, which has never happened previously in human history.
“You try to be as honest as you can when portraying yourself on social media,” said Barkman. He made the point that because of social media, everyone now has a history of themselves.
Barkman argued that since societies have a code of ethics, a code of ethics is needed for social media. If social media is viewed as a society, rather than a tool, people will understand that a code of ethics is necessary.
Another panelist, criminal justice major Cari McKenzie, shared information about online dating to support her argument.
McKenzie believes that the platform on which someone is sharing a story will dictate the way it is portrayed, regarding the truthfulness of how people portray themselves on social media. For example, a story on Facebook might be portrayed differently than a story on LinkedIn.
People are usually more authentic online sharing their personality than they are in face-to-face interactions, according to a study found by McKenzie. However, the opportunity to lie is bigger on sites centered around online dating.
“Today, one in five relationships begin online in the United States,” said McKenzie.
The audience had an opportunity to ask panelists to further explain their opinions.
“How much is too much in regards to posting on social media?” asked Dazelle.
Barkman made a point that since peoples’ thoughts and views change over time, it’s possible to create many different personas. Therefore, people should be conscientious about what they share online.
“I don’t think there’s a line that says what’s too much,” said Barkman.
If online interaction is all that you have, you won’t survive. It’s important to have a balance of online and face-to-face interactions.
“Online interaction is like online food,” said Barkman.
