Digital Ethics Module 13 PDF

Summary

This module discusses digital ethics, including legal and moral guidelines for technology use. It covers questions raised by digital ethics, such as the use of fake names online, and the responsibility for validating online information. It also examines cyberbullying and distracted driving.

Full Transcript

Digital ethics is the set of legal and moral guidelines that govern the use of technology, including computers, mobile devices, information systems, databases, and more. A digital citizen is anyone who uses or interacts with technology at work or in daily life for productivity or entertainment. Ever...

Digital ethics is the set of legal and moral guidelines that govern the use of technology, including computers, mobile devices, information systems, databases, and more. A digital citizen is anyone who uses or interacts with technology at work or in daily life for productivity or entertainment. Every digital citizen is responsible for educating themselves about their obligations, as well as their own rights. Like many ethical questions, digital ethical questions don’t always have easy answers. They can involve complex issues related to privacy and protecting the identity, rights, and behavioral health of individuals. Some questions raised by digital ethics are listed in Figure 14-1. Figure 14-1 Technology raises many ethical and legal questions A list of questions: Is it ever acceptable to use a fake name online? ; Can I throw my old smartphone in the trash?; Who is responsible for monitoring cyberbullying?; Am I responsible for validating information before sharing it online?; Can I use a company-issued device for personal communications?; Why is digital inclusion an important ethical issue?; What should I do to protect my privacy when using IoT-enabled devices?; Is it ever OK to copy and paste webpage content?; Should I do a regular digital detox?; Can I use a wiki for research?; How can I make sure my website is accessible? Many laws are being debated, revised, and passed to deal with how technology complicates problems like harassment, abuse of or attacks on free speech, invasions of privacy, copyright infringement, and bullying. Online activity allows for some level of anonymity, making it challenging to identify the perpetrators. Because it is so easy to distribute material widely on the Internet, finding effective solutions to these problems is difficult. States’ laws, which vary widely, are being adapted to address these problems. Missouri is one state that has attempted to define and enact punishment for cyberbullying. A Missouri statute defines cyberbullying as bullying “through the transmission of a communication including, but not limited to, a message, text, sound, or image by means of an electronic device.” The law states that schools are required to report any instances of cyberbullying, and that perpetrators can be convicted of a felony. Other states, such as Massachusetts, are enacting “hands-free” laws to prevent distracted drivers from causing accidents. Distracted driving means driving a vehicle while focusing on other activities, typically involving an electronic device such as a cell phone. The law prohibits texting and all other activities while driving. Other recommendations are shown in Figure 14-2. Figure 14-2 Tips for avoiding distracted driving What should I do with my device while driving? What if I remember that I need to text or call someone? What else can I do? Turn it off or silence it. Set up an automated response that tells people when you are driving. Set up your GPS or maps app before you start driving. Pull over and park in a safe location before reaching for your device. Ask your passengers to call or text for you. Keep kids safe with car seats or seat belts, as appropriate for their age and size. Secure your pets. Do not eat or drink, and definitely do not read texts or emails. If you think you cannot make it through a day without using technology, you’re probably right. Even if you set aside your smartphone, you could still end up interacting with a database while making a purchase at your grocery store, watching a video during a class lecture, or using an ATM to get cash. The fact is you are likely to live a digital lifestyle, using a variety of technologies for work and play. For example, imagine you are a student who balances school with a new internship. You use technology to get through your day. As part of your digital lifestyle, you wake to the sound of your phone alarm, and then use your smartphone to update your social networking status to say that today you start an internship. Within minutes, you receive many comments wishing you luck. Before leaving, you send a quick text message to your friends confirming you still want to meet for lunch. Next, you ask Alexa (Figure 14-3) for the weather forecast. There’s a good chance of rain, so you take an umbrella. At the subway station, you use your smartphone to pay the subway fare. Figure 14-3 Smart devices such as Amazon Alexa can respond to voice commands A screenshot of a black circular Amazon Alexa device with a green light around its edge. A wire is attached to the device, and goes off screen. The device has four buttons. istock.com/umesh chandra In class, you use a tablet to take notes on the instructor’s lecture. As she talks, you remember reading an article about the topic. You use the tablet to search for the article and share what you have learned. The sound is turned off, but you see congratulatory notes on your tablet in response to your social networking post, as well as incoming email messages regarding a group presentation. Before meeting friends for lunch, you use an app that uses search criteria, GPS, and user reviews to locate a restaurant between campus and your job. Once you find a restaurant that you like, you send the location to your friends by text message and then check in to the restaurant via a status update through your online social network. Later that afternoon, you enter the advertising agency and introduce yourself to the receptionist. Your boss brings a laptop to the cubicle where you will be working. He shows you how to check company email and hands you a memo with the company’s acceptable use policies. You notice that one of the company rules prohibits you from using your company-issued devices to check personal social media or email accounts. Back on campus in the evening, you use a tablet to work with your group to prepare a presentation, incorporating links to the source articles. You submit the presentation to your instructor using the school’s educational portal. At home before bed, you read assignments for tomorrow’s classes using the e-book app on your tablet. You access the e-book’s online content and take a quiz. You use the tablet to update your blog with a post about your first day, including a photo of your cubicle taken with your smartphone. You exchange several text messages with your brother to share information about your day, plug your phone and tablet into chargers, set the alarm on your smartphone, and then head to bed. How would your life be different if you couldn’t take advantage of all the technologies described in this scenario? Certainly, these technologies make many things in your life more convenient. But how do they affect your abilities to manage your time? Do they make you more or less efficient? Responsible digital citizens regularly evaluate their use of technology to make sure it really is making their lives better. Digital literacy means having a current knowledge and understanding of technology and an ability to use it, combined with an awareness of commonly used technologies. Digital citizenship refers to the ethical, legal, and productive use of technology. Keep in mind you can be digitally literate without being a digital citizen. For example, digitally literate people know how to copy and paste information from one source into another. Digital citizens know when it is appropriate to copy and paste information, how to properly credit the source, and the ramifications of violating copyright restrictions. Other aspects of digital citizenship include adhering to the relevant laws, abiding by commonly accepted etiquette guidelines, staying aware of your rights and the rights of others, keeping your information secure, and taking care not to adopt unhealthy technology habits. There are many aspects of digital citizenship, including literacy, but also adhering to etiquette and laws, and knowing your rights and how to keep healthy and secure. These aspects guide how you access, communicate, shop, and more with technology. Schools, businesses, and organizations often lay out their expectations and rules for digital citizenship in acceptable use policies. An acceptable use policy (AUP) is a document that lists guidelines and repercussions of use of the Internet and other digital company resources, including network storage, and email servers. An AUP is distributed in part to reduce an organization’s liability and to clarify what is and isn’t a fireable offense. For example, if an employee uses their company’s email server to send harassing email or uses the company’s network resources to hack into another website, and that employee has signed an AUP forbidding such behavior, then the company would clearly have the right to terminate the employee. AUPs typically cover not only illegal or unethical behavior but also actions that waste company resources or time. Companies also use AUPs to protect company data, such as customer contact information, from being misused. For example, an AUP would forbid an employee from sharing contact information acquired at work for personal or non-business use. Figure 14-4 shows a sample AUP. Figure 14-4 Acceptable use policies outline rules for using technology A screenshot of a web browser window showing the Acceptable Use Policy on the F B I website.Enlarge Image U.S. Department of Justice Within an AUP, the details of acceptable behavior often are listed in a code of conduct. Included in a code of conduct are rules against causing harm to others, misuse or unauthorized access of another person’s files or data, protection of intellectual property, stealing, software piracy, and social considerations. Schools typically also have sections in an AUP on how to address behavior such as plagiarism and cyberbullying. The Internet makes it easier to plagiarize, or take someone else’s work and pass it off as your own. Professional writers, such as journalists, are expected to follow strict ethical guidelines when copying or citing content from other sources. As a student, you need to hold yourself to similar standards. If you are not sure exactly what constitutes plagiarism, your school probably has a webpage explaining specific rules of plagiarism. You might even have been asked to sign a document indicating that you understand those rules when you first enrolled. Beware of websites that entice students to cheat intentionally by providing papers for purchase. Most schools will expel a student for such a serious infraction. To help discourage theft of other peoples’ work, teachers often require students to submit papers using a service such as Turnitin, which checks documents for passages taken from other works. This can be helpful for students who may have forgotten to cite a source and for instructors who need to check for possible plagiarism. This site, and others like it, also give resources to students to educate them about what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it (Figure 14-5). Figure 14-5 Websites such as Turnitin provide platforms for students and instructors to check papers for plagiarism A screenshot of a web browser window showing the Turn It In website, with the heading, Preventing Plagiarism.Enlarge Image © 2020 Turnitin, LLC. Cyberbullying is bullying that involves digital devices and platforms such as social media sites, online forums, messaging apps, and email. Examples of cyberbullying include sending, posting, or sharing negative and harmful content about another person or group. It’s not easy for schools to address and monitor cyberbullying, as much of it takes place off of school grounds, outside of regular school hours, and on devices and platforms that do not belong to the school. Yet it often affects the victim at school. Schools are adopting policies that include consequences for any form of student-to-student bullying that contributes to a hostile environment for a student or group. Describe Legal, Ethical, and Moral Issues Related to Technology Technology use can have legal, ethical, and moral consequences. Because lawmakers are struggling to adapt existing laws to cover technology, it can be difficult to know how to address them. Making things more complicated, actions can be legal but not ethical, or legal and ethical, but not moral. An action is legal if it breaks no laws. An action is ethical if it adheres to certain defined standards, often spelled out in a code of ethics or generally agreed on by society. Whether an action is moral is often a relative question, depending on the moral standards of individual people. For example, it is legal for a lawyer to help prevent a client from going to jail, even if the client admits to a serious crime. Not only is it legal, the ethical code of conduct for lawyers makes it mandatory for a lawyer to do so. However, individual people might consider it immoral to help keep an admitted criminal from going to prison. When analyzing your own use of technology, consider the questions shown in Figure 14-6. Figure 14-6 Technology use can have legal, ethical, and moral consequences An illustration with three rows. Row 1: Is it legal? Are there laws that expressly prohibit using technology for this purpose? Row 2: Is it ethical? Does society generally approve or disapprove of this action? What about your professional or academic code of ethics? Row 3: Is it moral? Does this feel right to you based on your own personal code of morals? While questions related to the use of technology do not always have clear answers, a digital citizen always tries to behave in a socially responsible manner, remaining aware at all times of the potential impact of their behavior on others. It can be helpful to think of the dangers and unintended consequences of your behavior on yourself, others, and society as a whole. One issue that has legal, ethical, and moral implications is the use of fake names or IDs online. It may seem harmless, or even safer, to use a fake name, but bad actors do this regularly to harm other people. The term catfishing refers to a deliberate attempt to mislead people about your identify by creating a fake online profile. People might do this to lure someone into a relationship on false pretenses on an online dating site, or to leave malicious comments on a website. Using a fake name to hide or obscure your identity can help you protect your identity and is not always immoral or bad. For example, using a nickname to protect your identity is acceptable; attempting to impersonate a celebrity or other person is not. Some social media sites require you to use your real name. Others allow you to create a profile using any name you like but have a verification process to identify the official account of a celebrity or public figure to protect them from impersonation. Technology has also made creating or sharing false information a prevalent issue. A hoax is the deliberate posting of content intended to cause harm or mislead people by tricking them into believing something that is false. Hoaxes often focus on political figures and health-related concerns. If you are unsure if information is real or part of a hoax, you can check Snopes.com, a reliable fact-checking website (Figure 14-7). Verifying that a post, photo, or anecdote is true before sharing it on social media is an important part of being a digital citizen. Describe Digital Inclusion and the Importance of Digital Access The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of all products and equipment that contain processors and can communicate with one another via the Internet. IoT-enabled devices can be controlled or programmed by apps, voice, or motion. Devices that use IoT to communicate, locate, and predict and respond to the needs of humans and other devices are often are referred to as smart devices. Some uses for IoT are listed in Table 14-1. Table 14.1 Examples of IoT Area Examples Home Thermostat, smart plugs, light switches, appliances, and remote controls to control systems and appliances Healthcare Wearable and implanted devices that collect and communicate health-related data or dispense medicine Transportation Traffic lights that share GPS data with each other to lessen commute times Security Monitoring cameras and motion sensors that send alerts about potential intruders Industry and Agriculture Devices that monitor, track, and assess products, livestock, or crops to determine when to plant, tend, and harvest Retail Smart shelves and digital signs that provide personalized shopping, and robots that restock and monitor inventory If you have access to IoT technology, you have probably found that it enhances your overall comfort, safety, and efficiency. However, keep in mind that some people (indeed, some entire countries) cannot afford IoT technologies, or lack the necessary access to high-speed, uncensored Internet connections, putting them at a disadvantage compared to those who do. The digital divide is the gap between those who have access to technology and its resources and information, especially on the Internet, and those who do not. Digital inclusion is the movement to ensure that all users, regardless of economic or geographic constraints, have access to the devices, data, and infrastructure required to receive high-speed, accurate, reliable information. The goal of digital inclusion is to ensure that everyone has access to all the resources offered online, including education, participation in local and national government, employment listings and interviews, and healthcare access. The following are some barriers to digital inclusion: Geographic areas that lack the infrastructure necessary to provide reliable Internet access Government restrictions or censorship Lack of affordable devices or connections Lack of education Lack of understanding of the value of technology Another issue regarding IoT is its effect on users’ privacy. Smart technology such as electric meters, smart TVs, wearable technology, and GPS devices submit data about your usage to companies that then use it for their own purposes—often to sell you more products or track your whereabouts. To protect yourself and limit your exposure to data collection, be sure to enable privacy settings on your IoT devices. Watch the news for companies or products that experience a data breach, which is any unauthorized collection or distribution of data. If you become aware of a company with which you do business that has been hacked, contact them to see if your data was accessed, change your passwords, and keep an eye on any suspicious activity. Describe How to Create Online Content without Infringing on Copyright Protections In addition to knowing and respecting copyright and intellectual property laws, which protect creators of content, it is important to consider how and when to properly cite or credit work you are incorporating into your own work. You should also know what you can do to protect your own creations. Table 14-2 lists important terms related to protecting content. Table 14.2 Content Protection Terms Area Examples Intellectual property rights Legal rights protecting those who create works such as photos, art, writing, inventions, and music Copyright An originator’s exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, or sell intellectual property Digital rights management (DRM) A collection of technologies used by software publishers and trade groups to fight software piracy and prevent unauthorized copying of digital content; includes authentication, certificates of authenticity, encryption, and digital watermarks Public domain An item available to the public without requiring permission to use, and therefore not subject to copyright Fair use doctrine A section of U.S. copyright law that permits the limited use of a part of a work without permission for non-commercial or educational purposes, as long as you include a citation to the original source; limits on fair use have to do with the overall impact of reuse on the value of the work, the nature of the work (for example, song lyrics have different limitations than research papers), and the amount of the work cited Creative Commons A non-profit organization that makes it easy for content creators to license and share their work by supplying easy-to-understand copyright licenses that allow the creator to choose the conditions under which the work can be used Enlarge Table All of these content protection principles are complex and comprehensive. The rights to use something in the public domain versus something that is copyrighted differ. Before using a work in your research or other papers, you need to verify the protections afforded to the original source, and follow the fair use, copyright, and other laws and guidelines. The impacts of copyright and intellectual property infringements are debated by those who side with the creators’ rights, and those who advocate free sharing of work or argue that the sharing work freely causes little harm. In particular, software creation sparks especially fierce debates between those who believe software should be open source, and the companies or creators that spend money and time developing programs, expecting to see a profit from the sale of their programs. Copyright violations can have legal and financial consequences. In some cases, perpetrators might be forced to pay a fine, or even be sentenced to jail. If you misuse a copyright at school, you could be expelled. If you violate copyrights at work, you could be fired. To avoid any misuse of others’ work, confine your web searches to websites or apps that are platforms for creators to share their work, such as stock photo websites (Figure 14-8). These sites require you to include a credit naming the creator and sometimes charge a fee. If you find content you want to use but are not sure if you can legally do so, ask. Do not copy or share content from another source without asking the creator or owner for permission. Even if the website or source from which you are obtaining the content does not expressly prohibit copying, or mention that the content is protected by copyright, doing so may be illegal. Figure 14-8 Pexels.com enables you to search for and purchase licenses to use photos A screenshot of a web browser window showing the Pexels dot com website, showing several photo results from the search, Blue tooth photos. Source: Pexels.com Once you create a website, taking care to follow all applicable copyright laws, you need to think about protecting your own content. The content management system you use to publish your website offers several tools that allow you to: Encrypt website code Add scripts to disable copy and paste Include copyright warnings on webpages In addition, you can register your content with copyright offices, or contact an attorney to ensure and protect the legal rights to your content. How to Be a Responsible Digital Citizen Technology changes so quickly that it often raises issue not covered by current law. And because the average person doesn’t follow technology developments closely, society as a whole often lags in its ability to develop a consensus about the ethics of technology-related situations. That means responsible digital citizens must sometimes make their own decisions about what’s right and what’s wrong, always keeping in mind that violating digital ethics has negative consequences for themselves and others. The first step in evaluating a situation involving digital ethics is to consider whether an action is acceptable if it were done without using technology. For example, speaking negatively about another person can be harmful when done face to face; if done through messaging or social media, it can cause even more damage. Recognize How to Cultivate a Polite Online Presence The term netiquette refers to the rules that guide online behavior. A major focus of netiquette is cultivating an online presence, or digital footprint, that is responsible and polite. The term digital footprint refers to all the information about an individual that exists online, including personal accounts, social media posts, communications, online searches, records of activities, and app usage. While you may think a post or comment has disappeared or been erased, archives and screenshots make it impossible to be certain. Having an online presence that embarrasses or sets you up for potential legal action has long-term, far-reaching consequences. Potential employers use online searches to find and evaluate job applicants’ digital footprint when making hiring decisions. Photos, emails, text messages, social media posts, and comments to articles can easily be found during these searches. For these reasons, follow the guidelines shown in Figure 14-9. Figure 14-9 Keep your digital footprint professional A list of statements: Do not use profanity.; Check spelling and grammar.; Assume any post can be shared without permission.; Review any responses to complaints or negative comments before sending to make sure they reflect your intent.; Do not share anything that might embarrass someone else.; Only share information that you have verified.; Enable privacy settings on your social media accounts. Describe What Makes an Online Source Reliable The Internet makes vast amounts of information easily available, but a great deal of it is inaccurate and biased. As a digital citizen, it is your responsibility to examine online content for reliability by first verifying its source. Content published by libraries, universities, professional organizations, and governmental agencies tends to be reliable. If you find a site that claims to be publishing information from such a source, verify that claim is true by searching for it on the original source’s website. If the organization or author of content is unknown to you, research the source by name to see if others view it as a respected authority. If a site publishes selected facts taken from another source, look for the full source and make sure the data is not taken out of context. Be wary of content that makes claims without citations you can use to verify them, and look for additional content that agrees with the source. Look for bias in the content you find online by checking the reliability of the source, any conflicts of interest by the author or publisher, and any affiliations that may affect the way the information is presented. It’s important to be especially careful when using a type of online source known as a wiki, which is a collaborative website that allows users to publish and modify content on a webpage. Wikis exist for many topics, small and large, and use links to cross-reference information from other pages on the website. Wikipedia (Figure 14-10) is one example of a large, general knowledge wiki. Some wikis, such as those that are narrowly focused on one topic, are tightly controlled, with a limited number of contributors and expert editors. Other large, multi-topic online wikis often involve thousands of editors, many of whom stay anonymous. Figure 14-10 Wikipedia is a collaborative website that allows users to publish and modify content A screenshot of a web browser window showing the Wikipedia website, showing a web page titled, Restrictions on cell phone use while driving in the United States.Enlarge Image Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia foundation, Inc Critics of wikis cite the editors’ lack of certified academic credentials, as well as potential political, cultural, and gender bias on the part of its contributors, whose anonymity makes it difficult or impossible to evaluate their contributions. Wikis are also subject to vandalism, in which contributors enter false or embellished information. Some wiki supporters argue that wikis provide adequate controls to correct false or misleading content quickly. Some wikis require that an experienced editor verify changes made to certain types of articles. Other wiki protection methods include locking articles from editing, creating a list of recently edited articles, enabling readers to report false, incomplete, or misleading information, and allowing people to be notified about changes to a wiki page that they have edited or that is about them. Some proponents propose that people use wikis as a starting point for research, but that they should verify using traditional sources. Describe How to Develop Accessible Online Content In terms of digital content, accessibility refers to content that is adaptable or available to users who require assistance. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires online content, including websites, to be accessible to people with disabilities. Users with visual impairments can use screen readers to read content aloud and describe visual screen elements, or use screen magnifiers to adjust the size of screen content. Users with hearing impairments use assistive listening devices to interpret audio content. Alternative keyboards and pointing devices assist those with physical impairments to navigate screen content. When working to make a website digitally accessible, it’s also important to consider that some users may be color blind, and that some users may be prone to seizures triggered by flashing animations. Apps used to publish online content, including content management systems and apps that save files in web-friendly formats, often include tools to check content for accessibility. Before publishing online content, take advantage of these tools to ensure your content meets the latest accessibility standards. One of the most important considerations when creating accessible content is to include alternative text, or alt text, which provides descriptions for all visual elements or non-text objects. Alt text should be written so that a user can understand the visual information, context, and purpose of an object. Figure 14-11 shows some examples of alt text. Figure 14-11 Good alt text provides visual descriptions A photo of three children. There are two callouts: 1. Bad alt text, kids outside recycling. 2. Good alt text, three smiling children standing outside holding a green bin full of plastic with a white recycling logo.Enlarge Image istock.com/rawpixel Before publishing your content, use the checklist shown in Figure 14-12 to make sure it is accessible. Figure 14-12 Technology raises many ethical and legal questions A list of statements: Consider all users, including those with visual and hearing impairments, color blindness, and more.; Make sure your content will work as recommended for all assistive devices, including screen readers, assistive listening devices, and adaptive input and output devices.; Include captioning for all video and audio content.; Add alt text for all non-text objects.; Ensure the content follows a logical order as many screen readers will read from the top of a page down.; Use recommended fonts, font sizes, and colors to make your page easier to read for users with learning disabilities or color blindness.; Use headings to distinguish content sections. ; Include inline hyperlinks to external webpages or websites.; Write to a ninth-grade reading or lower reading level by using shorter sentences and considering word choice. Identify Best Practices for Avoiding Risks Related to Digital Technology Technology use can have positive and negative impacts on an individual socially, legally, physically, and mentally. Knowing the risks can help you protect your health, identity, and position in society. Experts recommend taking occasional breaks from digital devices. A digital detox is a period of time during which an individual refrains from using technology. Participation in a digital detox has behavioral health benefits, including better sleep, less anxiety, and more productive thoughts. A break from devices also can help alleviate physical problems such as eye strain and repetitive stress injuries. Understanding the effects of technology on time management is another way to protect your behavioral and social health. Keep a log for several days about how much time you spend using devices in ways that are productive or unproductive. Analyze how your technology use affects your productivity. Be accountable for managing your time using apps that prohibit specific technology uses, such as gaming or social media, during work or school hours. Explain How to Create a Digital Wellness Plan In addition to the legal and ethical topics discussed in this module, it is important to think of your physical and behavioral health when using technology. Physical risks include repetitive strain injuries (RSI) that impact your muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments in joints such as elbows, wrists, and shoulders, as well as your neck, hands, and forearms. Poor postures can lead to text neck, which is tightness or discomfort in the neck due to looking down at your phone or device for long periods. Spending too much time looking at devices can cause eyes to be itchy, sore, or dry, or cause headaches due to eye strain. To prevent or reduce the physical effects of long-term technology use, follow these practices: Take hourly breaks. Consider setting an alarm on your device as a reminder. During a break, move your body and don’t look at your screens. Correct your posture. Keep your shoulders relaxed, and, if looking at your phone for long periods, put it in front of your face to avoid looking down. Don’t text and walk. Distracted digital users are more prone to falls or getting hit by a moving vehicle. Stand up while you work at your desk. Use props or a body-standing desk like the one shown in Figure 14-13 to place your computer at a comfortable height for working while standing. Figure 14-13 Standing at your desk can reduce RSIs and text neck A man at a desk that is raised so that he is able to stand, they keyboard is on a shelf at arm level, and the monitor is on a shelf that is at eye level.Enlarge Image istock.com/wavebreakmedia Resist succumbing to a sedentary lifestyle. Do not substitute technology use for regular exercise. Behavioral health risks include technology addiction, in which a person is obsessed with using technology and feels anxiety when away from devices. Using devices before bed can make it difficult to sleep. Psychological issues that can be increased with overuse of technology include social anxiety, depression, feelings of isolation, and lower life satisfaction. Use of technology can hinder or impair social skill development. To prevent or reduce the behavioral health effects of long-term technology use, follow these practices: Take frequent breaks, and consider a digital detox if you see signs of technology addiction. Turn off devices at least an hour before bedtime to make it easier to fall asleep. Use social media moderately. Consider your motivations and expected response before posting or commenting to avoid creating conflicts. Remember that much of what people post is only a small part of their life, and that people tend to post more positive than negative aspects of their lives. Restrict use of devices during social interactions, such as dinners with friends or family, to maintain your social connections. Safeguard your identity and privacy to avoid identity theft or invasions of privacy, which are stressful situations. Identify Best Practices for Responsible Tech Disposal When upgrading to a new smartphone or computer, a digital citizen responsibly disposes of or recycles the old, unwanted device. Before you dispose of or recycle a device, make sure all of your data, communications, pictures, videos, contacts, and anything else you will need is stored to the cloud or backed up to another device so that you can transfer it to your new device, then delete the backup. Methods for doing this vary by device, but most offer tools to encrypt the device’s contents and reset the device to its factory settings. Improper disposal of old devices can have harmful consequences on the environment, as lead, mercury, and other toxic substances leak from the device into the ground or water sources. In many states, laws require old devices to be recycled. In addition to the device, take care when disposing of batteries, chargers, and any accessories as well. Three responsible methods for disposing of your devices are: Take or send it a recycling facility or designated drop-off center, where it will be refurbished or recycled. Donate it to a charity, senior organization, homeless or domestic violence shelter, or other non-profit that can lend or give the device to someone who may not otherwise have access to one. Bring it to a technology store or firm, where they will often give you credit toward a newer device in exchange for the old one, which they can then recycle or refurbish. Evaluate the organization or facility to which you will bring the device to ensure that it follows health code regulations for the workers who disassemble and sort the materials from a recycled device. Ensure that the waste caused from disposing the unwanted electronic devices and materials, or e-waste, will not be simply sent to a developing country or underprivileged area that accepts e-waste for a profit in spite of the negative environmental impact.

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