Disconnected: Youth, New Media, and the Ethics Gap

by Carrie James, Henry Jenkins (Foreword)

How young people think about the moral and ethical dilemmas they encounter when they share and use online content and participate in online communities. Fresh from a party, a teen posts a photo on Facebook of a friend drinking a beer. A college student repurposes an article from Wikipedia for a paper. A group of players in a multiplayer online game routinely cheat new players by selling them worthless virtual accessories for high prices. In Disconnected , Carrie James examines how young people and the adults in their lives think about these sorts of online dilemmas, describing ethical blind spots and disconnects. Drawing on extensive interviews with young people between the ages of 10 and 25, James describes the nature of their thinking about privacy, property, and participation online. She identifies three ways that young people approach online activities. A teen might practice self-focused thinking , concerned mostly about consequences for herself; moral thinking , concerned about the consequences for people he knows; or ethical thinking , concerned about unknown individuals and larger communities. James finds, among other things, that youth are often blind to moral or ethical concerns about privacy; that attitudes toward property range from “what's theirs is theirs” to “free for all”; that hostile speech can be met with a belief that online content is “just a joke”; and that adults who are consulted about such dilemmas often emphasize personal safety issues over online ethics and citizenship. Considering ways to address the digital ethics gap, James offers a vision of conscientious connectivity , which involves ethical thinking skills but, perhaps more important, is marked by sensitivity to the dilemmas posed by online life, a motivation to wrestle with them, and a sense of moral agency that supports socially positive online actions.

Genres: Education

167 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Carrie James is a Senior Research Associate and Principal Investigator at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. A sociologist by training, for over a decade her work has focused on young people’s experiences in digital life, with attention to digital dilemmas, civic opportunities and challenges, and youth well-being. With Emily Weinstein, Carrie is co-author of the book, Behind Their Screens: What Teens are Facing (and Adults are Missing) (2022, MIT Press), which details new insights from research with thousands of teens. She has PhD in Sociology from NYU and is a parent to two technology-loving children, 12 and 17.

Reviews

[Matt Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely up my alley, professionally and personally. James's study of children and youth and their moral and ethical stance toward digital life is fascinating. Each theme in the book exposes the "blind spots" and "disconnects" that children and youth have in situations begging moral questions, and she concludes each chapter with discussion on the role of parents and teachers. Her call for conscientious connectivity is synonymous with my interest in mindfulness and technology in the realm of living an ethical digital life. This a great read for anyone in youth studies, contemplative pedagogy, K-12 education, and technology.

[Juan Carlos Ayala Perdomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and inspiring piece of work that urges every internet scholar to contribute to a much needed agenda about the “blind spots” and “disconnects” on the digital lives of young AND grown people. By recalling crucial concepts like agency, motivation and sensitivity, the book opens up a stimulant discussion sustained on solid theoretic framework, thus avoiding clichés and prejudices about the complex youth- internet relations.

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

All teachers, school counselors, parents should read this book. It was eye opening to discover that by focusing on advising students to avoid negative consequences of plagiarism, for example, we are taking the time away from focusing on other very and more important -in the long run- ideas.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was solid, if conventional. American university presses are filled with 'shock horror' titles about 'young people' and 'technology.' While much of this book continues this refrain, the innovative element is the attention to ethics. How do ethics transform in response to digitized interfaces? James works through this question and the outcomes are fascinating. This would be a strong book to use - in extracts - for first year communication and media courses, to encourage students to think through online decision making.

[John Tessitore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on over a hundred interviews, this book describes the attitudes of young Americans growing up in the digital age, focusing on questions of online privacy, property, and participation. It documents their willful blindnesses, their ignorance of important issues, and a lot of confusion about right and wrong--a "half-empty" analysis by the author's own account. An important analysis for educators and parents in particular, but not without some hope--if you can read between the lines of this deliberate, careful, very scholarly study.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

An (admittedly) glass half full perspective but good (and brief) read. Recommended for parents, teachers, youth workers. Academic, but not dry. But I'd start by reading It's Complicated by danah boyd.

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very academic in the writing style and some what repetitive