Ethics of Technology Chapter 5

The issue of privacy is one that you will think is a right that every one has. Everyone has that need for privacy and it is not something that springs up at a certain age, even children as young as one have a need for privacy, it might not be at blatant as the young teenager closing his bedroom door and putting the do not enter sign up, but even young kids every once in a while want to do something by themselves. Reading this chapter really opened my eyes as to how much privacy I don't have, but then again do I really want a lot of privacy. Yes I don't want my health records broad casted out there just to be used against me like the case in Maryland, I don't want income information or my social security info out there for anyone to use for their benefit, but I also don't want to be shut out from society that when I am in distress my neighbors won't know until it is too late, because they don't want to intrude.

Privacy does have its harms and benefits. I am a teacher so I can't go blowing off steam about kids and parents at school, but when I get home I want to feel that I can vent to my husband and not be afraid that somebody is bugging my house and recording the conversation that I am having with my husband and use it against me. If I didn't feel like I had the ability to vent freely and from prying eyes and ears, then I think I would explode or go crazy. You have to be able to vent and let off steam in private or else we will have more cases of people killing each other in the work place.

I do feel bad for celebrities. I know that they are in the public eye, but they have every right to their privacy. I don't understand the "reporters" that go to great lengths to capture the scope or the photographs of these poor people. Don't they realize the harm they are doing, especially when there are children involved. The case of Princess Diana is the saddest case of the paparazzi going too far. Celebrities have the right to go skinny dipping in their backyard as much as I do. Now if I don't have a high fence surrounding the pool, then it is no longer a matter of privacy, but that is another story. Warren and Brandeis said it when they said that people have the right to be left alone.

But on the other hand, some people should not be left alone because they can cause great harm when they are left alone. It is a fine line... I do have serious issues with the patriot act because I do feel that it gives the federal government too much power, but then again after 9-11 there are certain safety measures that need to be taken. I just wish that people with all that power would use it more wisely. Bradon Mayfield should never have been arrested. Looking at the evidence against him a second grader could have come up with with that conclusion. But at least he became two million dollars richer for it.

I still go back and forth with the issue of privacy and the involvement of government. I understand the need to make citizens safer, but at what cost?