Technology, Society, and Ethics: Issues
Contents
Cybercrime
- Opposing Viewpoints: Gale in Context This link opens in a new window
Covers today's hottest social issues, from capital punishment to immigration to marijuana. This cross-curricular resource supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes. Includes viewpoints, reference articles, infographics, news, images, video, audio, etc. Periodical content covers current events, news and commentary, economics, environmental issues, political science,etc.
- Points of View Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Provides content to help assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills. This database assembles controversial information in a non-biased manner for evaluation by the patron.
- Computer Virus: Topic PageRogue computer program, typically a short program designed to disperse copies of itself to other computers and disrupt those computers' normal operations.
- CyberbullyingCyberbullying refers to the use of technological communication tools and devices to intentionally inflict harm on an individual or group.
- Cybercrime: Topic PageThe use of a computer network, especially the internet, for crime.
- Cyberterrorism: Topic PageThe convergence of terrorism and cyberspace, particularly the politically motivated sabotage of information systems.
- Hacking: Topic PageUnauthorized access to computer systems, either for fun or for malicious or fraudulent purposes.
- Identity Theft: Topic PageIdentity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of the new millennium.
Social Issues
- Digital Divide: Topic PageThe digital divide refers to the disparity between those that have access to information and communication technology (ICT) and those that do not.
- Internet Addiction: Topic PageSpecialists estimate that between 6% and 14% of Internet users in the United States have a destructive dependency on the Web and that the vast majority of these people do not realize they have a problem.
- Knowledge Gap Hypothesis: Topic PageProposed that the segments of a population that have higher socioeconomic status (SES) tend to acquire information flowing from the media at a faster rate than do segments with lower status and that the gap in knowledge between these segments tends to increase rather than decrease over time.
Science and Technology Debates
- Controversial Issues in Science, Technology and EthicsOffers informed, differing views on each side of an issue, helping students draw their own valid conclusions on controversial issues.
- Genetically Engineered Crops and FoodsFrom Global Social Issues: An Encyclopedia
Unlike grafting or seed selection, genetic modification of crops introduces traits from one species into another wholly unrelated species using genetic material. - Nuclear EnergyFrom Global Social Issues: An Encyclopedia
Arguments against nuclear energy point out the risks, cost, and complexity of building and maintaining nuclear power plants.
Privacy and Data Security
- Computers and PrivacyFrom Encyclopedia of Computer Science
Computer technology can affect privacy in a number of ways. - Data SecurityFrom Encyclopedia of Computer Science
In the Internet age, data security has become of paramount importance because of the literally millions of users in cyberspace who might, accidentally or otherwise, invade and compromise the integrity of data on the computer calling into the Net. - Privacy: Topic PageConcern has arisen in recent years that modern computer technology may alter the balance of power between individuals, corporations, and the government in ways that compromise privacy.
Piracy and Copyright
- File SharingFrom The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Copying of digital files from one computer to another, usually over a network or the Internet. - Intellectual Property: Topic PageIntellectual property is knowledge or expression owned by an individual or a corporate entity. Intellectual property consists of three customary domains: copyright, patent, and trademark.
- Napster, Inc.: Topic PageNapster is the name of an Internet music company and of a real-time system by which Internet users can locate the MP3 files (a standard technology and format for compressing a sound sequence into a very small file) of other users.
- Open Source Software: Topic PageFree and open source software (F/OSS) is emerging as a promising alternative to proprietary software.
- Piracy (Copyright): Topic PagePiracy of intellectual property refers to the unauthorized use, reproduction, and/or distribution of protected material such as computer software, video games, music, or movies.
Information Access
- Assange, Julian PaulFrom The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Australian Internet publisher and activist, founder and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks. - Information AccessFrom Encyclopedia of Computer Science
Information access refers to the ability to keep watch on how governments govern and the right to peruse freely the facts and figures that officials have collected about everything from annual rainfall to budget expenditures to criminal records. - WikiLeaksFrom Culture Wars in America: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices
An online, nonprofit organization that collects and publishes secret and classified documents from governments and organizations of various kinds, WikiLeaks was founded in 2006 by Australian-born Internet activist Julian Assange.