Ethics in virtuality

Technology undoubtedly provides great versatility gadgets, tools, applications, programsotherwise, very useful and attractive that provide information, communication, entertainment, landline and mobile telephony, television, video game consoles, computers, tablets, etc.

You can send and receive e-mail over the Internet; establish video conferences, video telephony, download or upload information or files, participate in discussion forums, chat and very attractive social networks, such as: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Whatsapp, Google+, Badoo, LinkedIn. While it is true that all these technologies provide these and many other services and benefits, it is also true that they can cause unwanted behaviors and even diseases when used indiscriminately, intensively, and continuously.

Some behavioral disorders and diseases caused by the inappropriate use of these technologies have negative health consequences, causing behavioral problems, even some diseases. Overused technology brings big problems or psychological disorders such as: depression, anxiety, social isolationloss of pleasure in daily activities such as physical exercise or sports.

Another harmful aspect of virtuality is cyberbullying, sexting, trolling, happyslappingamong others, either as extras or recipients that transcend the ethical and educational context.

Include ethics and morality within virtual platforms Moral personality is important to develop through various didactic strategies in which moral dimensions are developed such as: Self-awareness and self-respect; Autonomy and self-regulation; ability to dialogue; critical understanding; Empathy and social perspective; Social skills and for coexistence; moral reasoning.

It is clear that teaching has a moral dimension, which means that the school institution should enrich its entire context with virtues, helping to form reasonable, thinking human beings and think about what is right or wrong. Therefore, in our daily life, we will adapt to certain principles or norms that will direct or guide our behavior.

Another context that influences a human being is the home, and it is the most appropriate place to receive moral education. Moral value is a quality that a person achieves in the actions that make up his work. And ethics is the basis of codes of conduct that create conditions for human and social coexistence in all periods of life.

In short, school and family must be to abuse of virtualitythey must not be left unsupervised or controlled when they connect, to prevent them from being exposed and vulnerable to inappropriate materials or unscrupulous people, for them the time spent using social networks and technological facilities must be reduced, balance online activities with outdoor activities and above all be careful any significant variations in physical, cognitive, emotional behavior and a social child or adolescent.

The author is a professor at Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Panama.