The Impact of Internet and Digital Culture on Workplace Ethics - Essay Example

The Impact of Internet and Digital Culture on Workplace Ethics Introduction It is not easy to determine how good or bad the use of the internet has changed the society since it began. But what truth a common man holds is that the use of the internet has had its toll in changing the ways communications are made today and in setting workplace, leisure and learning ethical bases as time goes by. Still, it is equally not safe to say that these changes are negative or positive as far as the respective generations may be concerned (Misa, 2004). A ‘change’ has just occurred. The current generation enjoys different internet utilities in different ways while the older generation perhaps finds this new concept awful (Misa, 2004; Jenkins, 2006). It would not be mistaken to say that each generation has its own time and technology and similar amount of satisfaction but only enjoying at different times (Misa, 2004). This study aims at explaining the e describing the historical emergence and growth of internet as a facility, its effects alongside its growth patterns and its effects on different generations. The onset and use of technology is defined and equally affected by some factors such as its democratization, its ease and flexibility of use (as opposed to other media) (Ferdinand, 2000), its different designations that serve different audience and, the effect of patterns, tastes and preferences of particular audience on its designing over time and space (Proctor & Vu, 2005). These factors are therefore explored in different lengths and at different areas of focus throughout this study. The old versus the modern media Whether old or modern, as reiterated above, all media exists within and is an aspect of technology (Manovich, 2001). Technology exhibits a typical flux nature; that is, its growth and development are progressive processes (Manovich, 2001). Each form and module of technology operates perfectly well in a given timeframe and then gets defaced and replaced by another as time goes by. Telegraph was perhaps the first electromagnetic form of communication. Later, the telephone emerged in form of a listening device. Then the technological experimentations bore analogue media in forms of cinematograohy, radio and TVs. It was in 1940s when TVs were invented. The following years saw the idea of TVs as perhaps the best invention of the time due to its entertainment both as a leisure activity and workplace motivation. The global society was enthusiastically detached from written information and adopted TVs as the best and entertaining alternative. In some societies, TVs were even a mark of household financial abilities. The TV era lasted from 1946 to mid 1960s. In late 1940s, the computers were developed mainly as storage utilities that had no visual interface. However, the idea of TVs bore the idea of visual displays for the computers. The latter became more and more popular than TVs and a threshold of overlap can be traced at around late 1960s (Jenkins, 2006). This marked the end of Baby Boomers Generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) (Misa, 2004). Although the internet was invented back in 1950s, it was used well internationally from late 1960s and early 1970s. After the Baby Boomers generation, there followed Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1976) that grew with both the TVs and Internet. Gradually, the internet, as communication tool and information storage, began to outweigh the value of TV (Misa, 2004). But this generation still valued the TVs as entertainments and information sources. It was a transitional generation. Then the Net-Generation began after 1976 to date. What we see today is a generation that almost believes that there could simply be no meaning of life without use of the internet (Jenkins, 2006). So internet became everything; from home activities to workplace operations (Misa, 2004). Currently, the internet (and thus computers, mobile phones and so on) has become an unavoidable utility in trade, social interactions and source of information (Misa, 2004). This way, the world has become a small village through thus achieved globalization. But then, the internet became commercialized due to the high demand from the current generation (Misa, 2004). The computer interface is perhaps more interactive than TVs. Various designs of the computer interface or display have then come up to suit different tastes (Proctor & Vu, 2005): from fantasy websites (art – games, films, written stories and music) to social websites (Facebook, Twitter, Skype and so on); from information search engines and storages (such as Google, Yahoo and so on) to official communication enhancements (emails and chat rooms). Services such as telecommuting and online conferences (Proctor & Vu, 2005) are as well valued to name a few. The role of social spaces and human-computer interactivity in deflecting workplace ethics According to Manovich (2001), the improvement and commercialization of internet have enabled designation of internet utilities (websites) that captivate the current generation and, to compete in making associated profits, different strategies to ease the use of the internet have been adopted (Misa, 2004; Proctor & Vu, 2005). While the Generation X lags behind only using internet for communication say through emails and searching of specific information, the current generation does more than that including socializing through online chatting and social websites where emails are a thing of the past (Misa, 2004; Keppell & Souter, 2011). Internet services in social spaces are modified to accommodate multiple activities featuring different domains (Keppell & Souter, 2011). The interactive improvements of the modern computers have enabled a closer interactivity even in the use of the internet (Manovich, 2001). In modern workplaces, according to Manovich (2001), Anandarajan and Simmers (2003) and Misa (2004), the employees (who are particularly belonging to Net-Generation) have to be controlled in terms of balancing their affinity to the use of internet for fantasy and for normal workplace operations (Hillerbrand & Sandin, 2011). But what makes the current generation become so much glued to the idea of using the internet? First, the use of the internet has been eased and has been made free so long as one has access enhancers (Ferdinand, 2000). Thus, different generations and thus individuals of different ages access the internet (Misa, 2004). In the meantime, many varieties of web designs, content and access mechanisms are prevalent. In a way, the users trigger the initiatives to invent and adopt new web designs (Proctor & Vu, 2005). Secondly, human-computer interaction, as aforementioned, has been so much simplified that one just requires one to know the language used by the respective interface (Proctor & Vu, 2005). Nowadays, it is possible to have both closed (using the only the buttons) and open (engaging in a human-computer dialogue) interaction with a computer and this creates more fun. And still, it is possible to interact with website administrators through raising suggestions by the means of emails and chat rooms and this has a ripple effect (Proctor & Vu, 2005); the administrator will turn to web designer for improvement suggested (Proctor & Vu, 2005). Advantages, disadvantages and control If we give the said ease and freedom of computer and internet use a closer look, one disadvantage is evident – people are overwhelmed by the internet use and spend a lot of time on internet and in front of computers at the expense of other people (Ferdinand, 2000), books and other leisure activities. The implied high affinity to the computers and the internet becomes a nuisance at workplaces (Hillerbrand & Sandin, 2011). When employees are denied access to internet, or work in offices where computers are not used, they feel terribly cheated (Anandarajan & Simmers, 2003). But the benefits of computers and the internet certainly outweigh and overshadow disadvantages; flexibility and automation of work operations (Jenkins, 2006; Hillerbrand & Sandin, 2011), and flexibility in transmission of information (communication) are priceless (Jenkins, 2006). So control of employees at workplaces remains the absolute way out; otherwise, the use of the internet is in command (Hillerbrand & Sandin, 2011). The power of modern internet simulations The modern internet social spaces have ‘corrupted’ the real world. The virtual spaces on the internet – examples of which are online games such as Sims 3, web cameras and online chatting rooms that are simulations of real telecommunications – are lately the way of life (Manovich, 2001; Keppell & Souter, 2011). Another example is the closed human-computer interactions such as ‘next page’ buttons that are analogous to perusing physical books (Manovich, 2001). And yet another example in the advent of online books and so on (Manovich, 2001). Advantages and disadvantages The simulations are representations of real world activities (Keppell & Souter, 2011). With the current speedy growth of technology, leisure activities and other economic operations will be flexible, localized and saving a lot of time in the long run. The current generation is slowly transforming to digital era where everything will probably turn digital (Misa, 2004). The conflicts at work places are potential; people’s minds are glued to the idea of taking daily internet bites during working hours whereof working time policies will not allow (Anandarajan & Simmers, 2003; Hillerbrand & Sandin, 2011). And if restrictions succeed, the mobile phones and other tablets devices will still provide access to the internet (Anandarajan & Simmers, 2003). Conclusion The technological growth has developed a wide variety of interactive media. These media are mainly for communication, information transmission and entertainment services. TVs, telephone, radio and telegraphs have been so much instrumental in delivering these services in the past years. But then, the computer was invented in some decades after the start of the 20th century and through further research, it replaces various media of the past due to convenience. Perhaps the internet invention in mid 1950s is the biggest invention of all times. Internet usage is currently the theme of the current generation (Misa, 2004). From storage of information and communication, the internet has further enabled or triggered simulations of the real world into virtual world and different web designs have been adopted to accommodate different generations and the utilities they require (Proctor & Vu, 2005). The use of the internet has been democratized and made easy such that communications, information retrievals and entertainment are easily accomplished (Ferdinand, 2000). Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype and entertainments such as online games, web cameras and information hubs are all captivating as far as the current generation is concerned (Manovich, 2001). In workplaces, the ability to multitask and establish human-computer dialogues add up to the ease of internet use and most employees are tempted to mix say online social interactions with work. In a way, it will take proper managerial interventions to control the internet usage and work risks because indeed, the current generation is really glued to the idea of the use of the internet. For the current generation, internet usage is simply the order of the day (Anandarajan & Simmers, 2003). References Anandarajan, R. & Simmers, C.A. 2003. Managing Web Usage in the Workplace: A Social, Ethical and Legal Perspective. U.S.: Idea Group Inc. Ferdinand, P. 2000. The Internet, Democracy, and Democratization. UK: Routledge. Hillerbrand, R. & Sandin, P. 2011. Handbook of Risk Theory: Epistemology, Decision Theory, Ethics, and Social Implications of Risk. NY: Springer. Jenkins, H. 2006. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. 2nd ed. NY: New York University Press. Manovich, L. 2001. The Language of the New Media. 8th ed. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press. Keppell, M. & Souter, K. 2011. Physical and Virtual Learning Spaces in Higher Education: Concepts for the Modern Learning Environment. Pennsylvania, U.S.: Idea Group Inc. Misa, T.J. 2004. Leonardo to the Internet: Technology and Culture from the Renaissance to the Present. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Proctor, R.W. & Vu, K.L. 2005. Handbook of Human Factors in Web Design. UK: Routledge. Read More