Tag: ethics

  • Dehumunization is Wrong

    Dehumunization is Wrong

    Dehumanizing other human beings: Denying the essential humanity of other people, is ethically wrong and immoral at a basic level. It is also dangerous, because people who view other human beings as sub-human or “inhuman” are capable of horrific atrocities. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights embodies the aspirational values of our founding documents in…

  • Meet Me on Mastodon (My “Dear John Letter” to Twitter)

    When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one group of digital communicators to discontinue use of the secure user IDs and passwords which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the the right and responsibility to affiliate with others who are kind and strive…

  • Political Philosophy and Media Literacy Cornerstones

    Propaganda and disinformation can have real, destructive effects in society and government. That is one of many lessons we can draw from the past week in Washington D.C., when we saw large numbers of protesters storm the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021, in a riot which resulted in deaths, injuries, as well…

  • Why You Should NOT Quit Facebook or Twitter

    Powerful tools can be used, by definition, in BIG ways. “With great power comes great responsibility.” Social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, are globe spanning technological marvels. Unfortunately, these platforms have been used maliciously and abusively in recent years to radicalize politics, fuel genocide, and fracture cultural bonds in communities worldwide. At the same…

  • 5 Reasons You Should Join Me on Mastodon

    Mastodon is a relatively new social networking platform (released in October 2016) designed with a fundamentally different ethos and value set from the most popular networks of 2017 like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, etc. Similar to email, Mastodon is FEDERATED so anyone can setup and run a Mastodon server, or “instance,” but a Mastodon user…

  • Learning about Digital Citizenship with Carl Hooker

    The past two days, Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) shared a series of outstanding presentations on digital citizenship with students, parents, faculty and staff at my school (Casady School) in Oklahoma City. I have known Carl for many years, and had a chance to participate in his amazing iPadPalooza conference in Austin in 2014. I attended his Miami Device 2015 session…

  • Taylor Swift’s Letter to Apple and Digital Citizenship

    Our 15 year daughter is understandably taken with Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13). Last night we were considering joining Apple Music so she could watch Taylor’s 1989 World Tour Live show, which is exclusive to Apple Music. As a result of those conversations, this morning I watched Taylor’s 20 minute interview with Zane Lowe (@zanelowe), which is available within…