That unpleasantness aside this is a critical topic, but one that I tend to think runs deeper than we may like to think. Throughout each video and presentation I watched the theme came up of the need to educate children of digital responsibility and etiquette. This is of course a worthy task and one that will often work (many individuals writing in all Caps literally do not seem to realize how it affects others). Educating kids on the long term ramifications and risks of what they post online is critical for the next generation. But throughout it all nagging thoughts kept occurring for me. The running theme was that the anonymity of the Internet tended to facilitate bad behaviors in users, and thus by educating them about why their behavior is bad we can curb it. I wonder if this isn't exactly backwards.
Probably the greatest Philosophical treatment of human nature is Plato's Republic. In the Republic in Book 2 Socrates (speaking for Plato) introduces the story of the Ring of Gyges. An allegorical tale about a man named Gyges who discovers a mythical ring that renders him invisible. Now that no one can see him Gyges is free of all of the constraints of society. So what does Gyges do free of all civilized constraints? He kills his enemies, murders the King, and usurps the throne (among other unpleasantness). Plato's point here is that human nature is often more bleak and selfish than we like to believe (remember David Hume's statement that Man's life free of civilization is "Poor, Nasty, Brutish, Solitary, and Short"). It is, in fact, the constraints of social order that reign in our violent and aggressive tendencies. It is for this reason that whenever law and order break down violence inherently follows (thing of the wild west, the dark ages, and the aftermath of any natural disaster).
This is a bleak view and probably an incomplete one. Human nature contains both good and evil. We are capable of kindness, mercy, and creativity in addition to darker things. But we shouldn't be so Panglossian as to overlook the need for constraints. I titled this post "In Vino Veritas" or "in Wine Truth", a similar idea. My point is that what if rather than lack of information or education the anonymity of the Internet is simply a lens for reflecting who we really are when no one is looking. If this is true then all the education in the world wont' change our basic nature. Things like cyberbullying, flaming, hurtful texts, identity theft, and identity stalking is simply what we want to do and what polite society (and the rule of law) prevents us from. I realize not everyone shares this fatalistic view. But it is one that I can't quite shake.
None of that should ever prevent us from at least trying to educate our next generation about how to create a safer and more respectful Internet. I support any and all attempts to do that. But I wonder, deep down, if we shouldn't be aiming a bit higher and broader than just the web 2.o. Perhaps rather than simply creating more responsible Internet users we should focus on making our next generation better people. That is infinitely harder, but, in the end, it may be the only thing that works.
Those depressing thoughts out of the way (and truly it may just be me), here is a group of Middle School students discussing proper Netiquette. May they prove me blissfully wrong. And BTW why are the Brits so far out in front of us on this issue?
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