Table of Contents
Introduction
Since the advent of new technology entered the market and became a commonplace thing online, the issue of anonymity and the impact it has on the moral and ethical values of people values became a major worry. Particularly, the issue of anonymity on the internet and the lack of moral remorse in the actions people are able to take in an online world must be taken care of. While individuals are entitled to not to divulge private information online in a environment, including forum and chat rooms, it’s important to safeguard people from cyberbullying as well as similar attacks.
The issue is online anonymity and the responsibility of the online world. When looking at the issue from the perspective from the perspective of Cultural Relativism, one will need to accept that judging the behavior of other people from the perspective of one’s own perception of right and wrong could be insecure (Al-Daraweesh as well as Snauwaert 24). This is why the ethical dilemma must be resolved by encouraging personal development rather than eliminating the notion of anonymity from an online environment.
Cultural Relativism and Cybersetting
Incorporating the concepts associated with Cultural Relativism into the online environment, one will be capable of establishing the philosophy that will help the issue of a absence of accountability in cyberspace is dealt with (Manjikian 56). In particular by establishing that the act of criticizing others’ behavior is arrogance at best creating an environment wherein people are able to dismiss any message that they consider inappropriate or offensive, but without having emotional reaction because imposing a control on others and their compliance with ethical norms isn’t appropriate.
Although the suggested approach may seem like the ideal solution to the moral dilemma of confronting unacceptable online behavior and taking action to manage the issue, it will only serve as an interim solution to the problem. In ignoring the problem and not attempting to alter the behavior of others on the internet this will result in gradual decline of the worldwide online community which will ultimately lead to its destruction.
The identified method can be viewed as an option for dealing with personal attacks , and not as a method of controlling communication in a digital world, as a whole (Manjikian The 117th chapter). This is because the Cultural Relativism principle that implies the inability to alter the values and beliefs of others are not compatible with efficient cross-cultural communication and advancement of the diversity.
Conclusion
If we look at the potential for online conflict and miscommunication due to anonymity from the perspective of Cultural Relativism tenets, one is required to recognize that it is not reasonable applying the exact rules for all participants. The things that might be considered offensive in the context of one culture could be considered as acceptable in another, consequently, with the emphasis on intercultural communication in an online environment, the answer to the issue is self-explanatory.
When you consider anonymous communication as a possibility for cross-cultural conflicts it is possible to combat cyberbullying by creating the basic principles which encourage people to consider every conflict as a relative one that will lessen and may even negate the effects of personal attacks. Although the concepts of cultural relativism might not be the ideal solution to the present issue of anonymity on the internet and the issues it brings, it does provide an interesting view regarding the issue that could aid in reducing the emotional harms of online conflicts.
