Ethics Topics: Helping Others

Volunteerism and community service are often cited as positive examples of ethical behavior. It's easy to agree that it is a good thing to give back to your own community or to help others in ways that you have been helped. The book Pay It Forward is a recent popular call to action of this nature.

This week we've seen horrific tragedy take place in Haiti with one of the most devastating earthquakes ever on record. We've also seen one of the first major examples of giving through text messaging as Americans donated millions in relief funds $10 at a time via text.

The information about how to donate by cell phone was spread through tradition television and newspaper media, but it was also spread by individuals through forwarding emails, Tweeting, and posting links to Facebook, MySpace, and other social media outlets.

What are the ethical considerations of these actions? How can individuals use digital media to engage in and/or promote ethical behaviors?