Ethical Aspects of Internet Derived Information Utilization in Adolescents: The Role of Family and Education

Abstract

The last decade achievements in information and computer technology (ICT) transformed in many ways our society. The moral dilemmas regarding information technology became more and more numerous in present society, which, overnight, turned into an informational society. The access to information as well as its rapid transmittal had and still have positive and negative consequences over psychological, moral and social development of adolescents, over the structure and functioning of society in general. The ethics of information technology also examines the moral dilemmas arisen by the author rights, ownership, access, confidentiality and security of information.The aim of our research was to highlight the proportion of students that are aware of the ethical issues regarding the utilization of internet derived information, and to emphasize the role of their parents in this matter.Material and method: the study group comprised 33 students, aged 11 to 18 years old, that answered a questionnaire with 30 items concerning computer based activities and ethical aspects of internet derived information utilization. The student's parents also responded to a 35 item questionnaire regarding their awareness about the student's computer activities and also their degree of knowledge in respect of internet ethical use.The results obtained showed an extensive, non-educational utilization of internet derived information; a lack of knowledge or ignoring of ethical aspects, as well as a poor implication of student parents in this matter.