Teaching the Ethics of Media Pirating

Most would agree that illegally distributing copied CDs and DVDs is morally wrong. The principle is often taught to or reinforced in people as they grow up. However, people generally have no scruples about downloading or distributing digital media on the internet. This may be because children are not taught that downloading "free" media is unethical behavior; likely the thought that downloading pirated media is stealing has never crossed the minds of many people. I believe though that the lion's share of illegal downloaders know that their actions are just as wrong as if they'd pirated and distributed physical CDs. Their personal justification lies in the feeling of anonymity that the internet provides. The root cause of their crimes is not ignorance but rather a lack of moral fiber. If we are to truly put an end to online media pirating, we must help people to have more integrity. They must want to uphold the law whether or not somebody is watching and must try to encourage others to obey the law is well. If we can encourage better integrity in our society, online media pirating (as well as many other unethical deeds) would be much less frequent than it would by simply doing a better job of teaching people that illegal downloads are unethical.

Study Journal #7

31 March 2015

1) I agree that too much reliance on computers can smother our ability to feel the spirit, even more so than other things. Because we can view whatever we want with a computer, we can be distracted easily.

2) Just like with the Brother of Jared needing to figure out how to get light, I believe that the Lord expects us to consider our ethics and decide within the gospel frame work.

3) It seems like there is no way to make technology and software that can not be used for evil in some way. There are technologies with the intent for good, but it seems like Satan works to corrupt everything good in some way.


02 April 2015

1) Wow, what if the original 12 had technology as a teaching tool!?! They baptized like crazy as it is, but I wonder if the greater voice would have actually helped.

2) Hearing about how the Brethren are so involved in the direction that church technology is going is really inspiring! The thought takes away any inclination I've had to criticize the way the church is using technology...

3) I bet working for ICS would be an interesting mix of spiritual and temporal. I wonder how they keep the guidance of the Spirit involved while at the same time using tons of technology.


07 April 2015

1) The idea that the Lord didn't inspire smart phones just for fun-that He's not terribly concerned about how much fun we have- is a powerful thought.

2) The church seems like it has done a good job of learning from its mistakes, such as working out sealing issues in the database and product.

3) I'm glad the church is making the effort to do cloud-based stuff. It is more convenient for people in general, but I hope they really lock down the security element. If not, they have to worry about people altering or deleting data through hacking.


09 April 2015

1) I need to shift my mind-set to make sure that the programming I do actually help the Lord's work in some way.

2) All the prophets, both ancient and modern, really have seen the miraculous technologies that we have today.

3) How can I do online missionary work without Facebook, twitter, and other social media apps? Blogs, maybe, but I'm terrible with them in the same way I stink at journal writing. Maybe youtube though?

The Numbing Effect of Technology

Digital technology in all its forms has many positive effects on society. Many gadgets save time and perform tedious tasks that people would otherwise do by hand. However, strong digital dependency is becoming more and more common, especially in the younger generations. This is undesirable for many reasons, but I believe that one of the worst effects of too much technology is that it numbs the mind, body and spirit. This is clear when you interact with somebody who has just finished a long session at a computer. His eyes are dull, his mind usually fuzzy or aching, and his mood taciturn. After some time, he will come out of his reverie and a cloud will seem to lift off him. These post-computer-usage effects are undesirable. Once the spell has been lifted, a person becomes more pleasant, more engaged, and most importantly, more receptive to the Spirit. Youth are particularly effected by the technology stupor; observe any scout troop on a long camping trip. Somewhere along the way, all the gamers will wake up and become the more lively boys that they ought to be. Because of the numbing effects of too much technology, we must all discipline ourselves and limit our time in the digital world so that we may vigorously take advantage of the time-saving benefits that technology provides.