Digital and social media shape how we think, connect, and live... but at what cost? This course introduces students to the field of applied ethics through the lens of contemporary digital platforms. Focusing on major case studies involving Meta and Google, students will examine pressing questions about responsibility, regulation, and the moral limits of technology.

We explore how digital media affects mental health, authentic relationships, safety, and privacy, while also considering its broader social consequences. Students will engage with key ethical concepts such as duties, virtues, vices (including corporate greed), and the pursuit of basic human goods.

By the end of the course, learners will gain a clear understanding of what digital media is, the ethical challenges it presents, and how philosophical reasoning can help us navigate an increasingly connected world.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE OUTLINE

• What is applied ethics?
• Ethics and digital media
• Two recent case studies: Meta and Google

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the nature of media ethics
• Understand the nature and meaning of "digital and social media"
• Understand some of the serious challenges these technologies pose.