This study starts from the assumption that the Internet was being very favorably reputed as one of the critical medium for an information-oriented society in the 21st century and further deeply prevailing itself over all aspects of our daily life.
Th...
This study starts from the assumption that the Internet was being very favorably reputed as one of the critical medium for an information-oriented society in the 21st century and further deeply prevailing itself over all aspects of our daily life.
Thus the purpose of this study lies in determining what problems were being provoked by the Internet use and clarifying the actual status of the Internet use by the International network system users.
For the purpose, this researcher surveyed the Internet users who had experienced writing on bulletin boards specified in the Internet sites for this nation's colleges and universities. The survey was carried out using the questionnaire form which contained total 26 question items. The internet users as investigated here were all college students. Colleges and universities as dealt with by this study, consisted of such public or national and private establishments in the level of the higher education. In addition, the researcher reviewed related theories.
Findings from the study can be described into the following result.
<Research Task 1>. To investigate what perceptions by the Internet users about ethical problems brought by the Internet culture.
<Research Task 2-1>. To determine whether the extent to which ethical problems with the Internet use vary according to demographical factors of the network system users. <Research Task 2-2>. To determine whether the extent to which ethical problems with the Internet use vary according to factors related to such problems actually experienced by the Internet users.
<Research Task 2-3>. To determine whether the extent to which ethical problems with the Internet use vary according to factors related to the network use in part of the Internet users.
<Research Task Ⅲ>. To determine ways of Improving ethical problems with the Internet use which were being regarded by the Internet users from their own view of the Internet culture.
The 2nd research task was analyzed to find that female students perceived problems with the Internet us, especially speech and sexual violences and irregular sites, more seriously than in male ones. While the latter group considered speech abuse more serious than in the former.
Negative views about such problems as above were more appeared by 2nd and 3rd grade students than any other grades.
Regarding the research task 2-2, students who were damaged by the Internet-related problems perceived those problems as more serious than in those who damaged others by means of the international network system.
When the research task was verified, it was found that there were correlations between the time of the Internet use per day and the extent to which the network users perceived the network-related problems as serious and simultaneously between the place of the Internet use and perceived levels of speech violence's seriousness. Further how much serious the drain of information was significantly correlated with the place of the international network system.
For perceived problems of the Internet use, there were correlations between the motive of using the international system and speech violence and also between the extent to which the Internet is utilized and sexual violence.
Finally, it was found that there were correlations between the extents to which the Internet were utilized and to which the Internet users perceived problems with the network system as serious.
When the third research task was verified, it was found that Internet users were thinking anonymity of the most serious problem with the Internet use. More than a majority of the users agreed that a sort a real name system should be introduced to solve the most serious problem as aforesaid.
The real name-based system was regarded to be able to problems with the Internet such as speech violence in most cases, followed by frauds using the Internet and then sexual violence and hidden cameras.
Now computers are settling down themselves all over parts of our life. They are strongly influential enough to dramatically change our interactive communication systems.
Nevertheless, the so-called cyber space provided by the Internet has many problematic implications. Facing the actually upcoming era of cyber space, we should make the best of advantages of the space and thereon solve its ethical problems as hereby described. This would make a great contribution to realize an ideal world of cyber space.
Finally we have to make active efforts help everyone avoid becoming under the submission to and control of mass media, and select and utilize the media on their own decisions basis.