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of you in some way.

In a morally perfect world, this shouldn't even be a problem, but when victims can't be seen and victimizers can't see the pain they've inflicted, it seems perhaps morals are pushed to the wayside. For those who do have a conscience, it is easier to justify actions or ignore consequences of actions if the distress caused is unseen because it is safety hidden behind a computer screen.

Societal Challenges

There are also more socially problematic issues such as stalking, harassment, hate speech or the exposure to materials that contain offensive images or content. The former issues bring up debates of free speech and the latter issues are also inflicted with free speech arguments. In addition, the latter contains shades of gray because the opinions of text and images can be very subjective and may differ significantly depending on who's accessing them.

Stalking online has become a problem and those who abuse others often don't seem to be bothered by their actions. While stalking online is a different kind of stalking than offline because the physical in-person element is mostly removed, it can still be painful and distressful. Another facet to consider is that stalking others is not only an invasion of privacy, it can lead to offline problems.

Many online stalkers who gain pleasure from pursuing and tracking others online would never act on this kind of behavior in person; this is a significant challenge of morality. Why should online behavior be any different than offline actions? Some people think they can simply turn off their computers and the pain they've caused is cut off by the power switch too; this is not the case because the harassment to the victim continues on long after the network link is broken.

Hate speech is another moral consideration. Unfortunately there are some who prefer to hide behind the anonymity the Internet affords and use computer networks as a platform to send hateful words or other discriminatory messages. Like stalkers, many of these people would never have the gumption to say these horrific things offline, but the Internet seems to give these offenders a sense of security and a venue to spread their hate.

Offensive images, such as pornography, have become a hot ethical issue in society. The never ending argument of free vs. restricted speech doesn't seem to have an end in sight. While most people want to enjoy personal freedoms, how far is too far before it crosses the line and the freedoms of others on the opposite side of the fence are impacted?

It is difficult to regulate the Internet because it is a global community and differing laws will exist from place to place, but it seems the solution to the challenges of morality on the Internet is to try and find some semblance of balance. This would not be easy to achieve but perhaps with communities working together to come to compromise, some of these challenges can be lessened.

Learn more about this author, Leigh Goessl.
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