The controversy surrounding corporations as public figures touch on critical aspects of society’s development and well-being. Does one wonder why corporations have become so pervasive? Why do they affect all of us, not just the people who buy the companies’ products? In The Corporation, the authors talk about the reasons corporations are a societal evil (The Corporation). They repeatedly recall Adam, Eve, and the apple that sowed discord. The rot that the film speaks of is the overuse of their power. The Corporation tells how companies designed to make people’s lives easier become monsters that destroy societal reality. The film’s main issue is that the capitalist world is not the fault of individual executives but of the whole system to which society has logically come.
The most expensive resource used by every corporation is people, their labor, and intelligence. Corporations use people to achieve their goals and to make products better and more attractive. While I am sure that some corporations are not held hostage by this system and act much more freely, I think that everyone is selfish. The film does a great job of showing how corporate selfishness (e.g., investing in the environment to increase sales) becomes their main trait. It is not wrong; it is natural: every executive wants to be the best because it is human nature. But is it possible to advertise and sell a product that people don’t need? Or on the contrary, is it necessary that its sale is illegal and contrary to international codes? Unfortunately, it is on these products that companies continue to make huge profits because marketing works wonders, and society no longer recognizes the strategic tricks of advertising.
I was surprised by corporations’ legal or somewhat illegal side: collective social responsibility exists, and corporations have no such rule. The film tells the case of selling rainwater and exploiting people to get it (The Corporation). It seems absurd to a person from a developed country, but then I remember that I, too, buy bottled water and realize the influence of corporations on me. Corporations violate the law because they commit crimes against human dignity by forcing people to buy unnecessary goods. But who will judge them if there is no sustainable law for the applicable law? This probably remains an open question for the review of international law in corporations and individuals.
I think the most striking thing I found in the movie was that I would inevitably have to accept the corporation as part of society. Strong leaders at the head of large companies began with the simple idea of “making the world a better place.” They realized that this was impossible without human resources and it led them to what we have now. Companies fight for good ideas, support entrepreneurs and social minorities, and seek personal gain (Hiltzik). Corporations promise to support politicians interested in sustainable development and environmental welfare. And then, a week later, there’s a news story about how a company doesn’t recycle its corporate waste. The inconsistency of America’s corporate world will be constant, and it is only the system’s fault.
In conclusion, I would like to point out that the film is not a harsh criticism and does not disparage the dignity of corporate owners. I think this is the right approach because the public will understand that corporations’ influence on them is inevitable. Everyone wants to get rid of annoying advertisements for a new accessory, but who are we if we do not look at it in the store? Human resources are inexhaustible, and corporations will not stop using people’s labor and intelligence. And as much as we’d like to, we’re all part of the system, and changing it is a long way off.
Works Cited
Hiltzik, Michael. “Column: Big Companies Renege on Their Promises to Fight Assaults on Abortion, Voting Rights and Democracy”. Los Angeles Times, Web.
The Corporation. Directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott. Big Picture Media Corporation, 2003.
A Legal Or Ethical Obligation Of Facebook To Assist A Crime Victim
This work aims to answer whether Facebook has a legal or ethical obligation to assist a crime victim. In this paper, I will recommend three ways that platforms like Facebook may be more proactive and carefully evaluate the types of content that appear in media. The research will be conducted to know whether or not Facebook might be sued for breach of privacy if personal information is shared with advertising agencies. Two adjustments that Facebook should make to foster ethical use of their platform are proposed. Suggestions for adjustments that Facebook should do to entice people to use their platform are made.
Inaction can be a crime only if the law imposes an affirmative obligation to act. Unless there is a “special relationship” between the possible rescuer and the person in danger, a person is under no legal obligation to save another person. Due to the many cases of increased criminal activity broadcasted on social media online, the questions about whether Facebook or any other platforms are in charge of protecting victims from being harmed or abused. Even though I do not think that Facebook must care about crime victims in terms of law, I feel that it has a moral obligation. Social media sites are not in the business of fighting crime. The law stipulates that those responsible for rescuing a victim from a crime must have received emergency and law enforcement training.
By assisting in the monitoring and controlling of the outcome of life-threatening situations, Facebook exhibits its ethical and moral community standards. Facebook believes in helping everyone. Thus, they encourage its users to report any potentially life-threatening information they see on Facebook Live. (Newcomb, 2017) Facebook is a significant player in the social media world. They understand that the Facebook family exists to assist others in becoming more productive and to assist others in achieving greater levels of prosperity. The advocacy of self-injury and suicide on Facebook is not encouraged. There is a partnership with various groups to serve the Facebook community when therapy is required through stressful life events. The organization also prohibits the dissemination of information that encourages and promotes self-mutilation and eating disorders. (Newcomb, 2017) When comments are made on posts that betray a person’s identity because of these vulnerabilities, Facebook will remove them.
There is no doubt that social media platforms should thoroughly check the content they are posting on their sites to prevent violent behavior. So, there are some suggestions made to solve this problem. One method is to appoint a group to review all content. If such a team exists, there is a good chance that these live postings will never see the light of day. Facebook can be more meticulous and thorough in reviewing content that appears on its platforms. To begin, they can enforce policies by ensuring that individuals follow a code of conduct.
A time delay on all live broadcasts is a second way social media may be more proactive. With that time in place, social media platforms will have adequate time to erase the broadcast and deactivate the user’s account. The third method for social media networks is to be more proactive in implementing filters that can filter out violence, sexual misconduct, violent photos, and other infractions. Messages and postings are encrypted to prevent other users from accessing them unless they have permission (Newcomb, 2017).
People who utilize online social networking sites like Facebook have a right to privacy to a degree. They feel that only their friends will be able to see the information or status updates they post. Users can manage who can see or access their information using security settings. However, there have been instances where Facebook has shared users’ information with third parties without their knowledge or consent, raising concerns about its privacy policies. To put it another way, sharing all of your personal information and status updates on social media is not entirely secure. That is why there is such a perpetual state of privacy ambiguity.
Nonetheless, following a slew of Facebook privacy gaffes, the company made some changes, as users’ privacy is paramount when using social media. Facebook has reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to provide users with prominent notice before disclosing their data. While they may continue to share information with vendors or service providers, they must abide by solid confidentiality obligations following the Data Policy and the agreements we enter into with them.
In addition, there are some changes that Facebook should bring into its platform to use without violating the ethical rules. The first step is for Facebook to impose sanity checks more strictly on sharing news stories. It has been one of the significant issues for social media platforms in recent years, with the spread of fake news rampant on the forum. (Newcomb, 2017) Second, Facebook needs to be transparent about its plan to exploit user data to attract more advertisers to its platform. The conditions of use for such alternatives are frequently cloaked in legalese, rendering them incomprehensible to most Facebook users. If the terms were more clearly stated in language that everyone could understand, it would alleviate many of the concerns individuals have recently expressed.
Facebook is one of the most widely used social networking sites for socializing, presenting new enterprises, and meeting other internet users. It has become an excellent example of how social media has altered our way of life. Regardless of how far internet technology has progressed, it has undoubtedly created many ethical difficulties and raised many worries about social networking etiquette. As a result, platforms like Facebook should have a moral obligation to assist crime victims as soon as possible after gathering information from its members.
References
Newcomb, A. (2017). Cleveland Shooting Highlights Facebook’s Responsibility in Policing Depraved Videos. NBC News. Web.
Technostress Reduction Methods
In current conditions, technostress management becomes an essential skill for maintaining human health. Technostress refers to the difficulties people have trying to use information technology in a healthy manner (Lee, 2016). It is caused by the rapid development of technology and the strong influence on the human lifestyle, particularly on health. As a result, people experience information overload, and media addictions, and cannot balance work and personal life. The infographic presented above describes methods that can be effective in coping with technostress.
The following methods are only a few of the possible approaches, and their choice is determined individually:
- Time-management: Technology supports the myth of multi-tasking, but concentrating on several duties is exhausting and distracting. It is necessary to plan the order of tasks considering their priority and use gadgets accordingly for each of them. During a specific job, technologies should not distract, and one might want to disable mail notifications.
- No-technology time: The separation of personal time and job by turning off work accounts contributes to a better rest at home and concentration at the workplace (Crane, 2018). Moreover, a distraction from screens in personal time allows being calmer, as a person concentrates on their own thoughts and feelings and not on the information flow.
- Nature walks: Constant notifications and sputtering of attention create a sense of haste and increase anxiety. Time in nature allows for restoring a natural rhythm and relaxation (Tahmaseb-McConatha, 2019). Moreover, this method promotes stress resistance and improves people’s well-being.
Thus, in the modern world, the concept of technostress has appeared associated with the negative impact of information technologies on human health. As a result, it became necessary to learn to cope with it and develop many methods for this purpose. Approaches are better to choose individually, and then they will be more effective. The infographic presented in the paper discusses three ways of combating technostress: time management, time without technology, and nature walks.
References
Crane, B. (2018). Suffering from technostress at work? Read these tips. Web.
Lee, J. (2016). Habit, negative emotions, and intention to continue to use a cell phone. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 44(10), 1687–1697. Web.
Tahmaseb-McConatha, J. (2019). Coping with technostress: The healing power of nature and managing technostress [Blog post]. Web.