Education and ethics in digital times: a question for the philosophy of technology

Abstract

This text consolidates the results of a study whose main objective is to study the forms of violence against minorities in the context of social media. In doing so, it demonstrates how this phenomenon occurs, categorizing the violence against the minorities most affected by this behavior, based on the assumption that such behavior reflects ethical dimensions of our social reality. The minorities targeted by aggressive behavior on social media are, for the most part, people who identify as LGBTQIAPN+, women, Black people, people with disabilities (PWDs), and Indigenous people. The violence involves the dissemination of intimate photos or videos, racist, misogynistic, or LGBTphobic comments, the creation of hashtags to promote offensive speech, the blocking of profiles, pages, or posts on social media, "virtual rape," and the production of fake news aimed at tarnishing the reputation of social media users, even fostering the culture of lynching and virtual cancellation based on their belonging to the social minority category. The methodology used here is document analysis based on Figueiredo (2007) and content analysis by Lawrence Bardin (1977). The theoretical framework adopted is based on the philosophy of technology, according to Andrew Feenberg and Alberto Cupani, and ethics, according to the work of Zygmunt Balman, an author who considers social media "a trap," in addition to the regulatory framework that ensures the civil rights of these minorities. The results provide a synoptic framework that outlines the problem, presenting it as a contemporary issue that demands legislative, legal, and educational policy interventions.