Ethics of using gadgets

We live in an age when just about any information under the sun is available to us at the click of a button. People are a confident lot, because they are aware of the power of the internet.

Has the dissemination of information enriched people’s minds? Are people misusing and abusing the electronic facility? The answers to these questions oscillate between “yes and no”, and mostly, take the position of the cat on the wall.

An ancient Sanskrit Subhashita when translated says, “The knowledge present in the book and money which is in another person’s hands cannot be considered to be yours.”
Similarly, information accumulated in the various websites cannot be touted as personal understanding, unless the individual has made an effort to imbibe the learning.

If people can read a language it does not mean that they know the subject. If a person needs to browse on unfamiliar matters for taking crucial decisions, it will be in the best interests to take the advice and guidance of experts in the respective fields.

Unless a person is oriented in the subject and has a working knowledge of various dimensions of the topic, mere reading may not really enable a person to understand the subject clearly.

The internet should be used as an able prop and not as a crutch. When a user exercises his discretion and ethics while using web pages, plagiarism and cyber crimes can be routed out.

It will also protect the intellectual and ethical personality of an individual.
There are several tales in our epics which point out that a little learning can be a dangerous thing.

For instance, Abhimanyu lost his life because he did not have complete knowledge of exiting the Chakravyuha.

Vital knowledge in the hands of the wrong person can prove to be fatal. Hence, the mettle and moral fabric of great heroes were tested before they were bestowed with special powers.

When Arjuna invoked Lord Shiva for gaining the Pashupatastra, he was
enticed into a battle by the God in the disguise of a hunter.

It was only after Shiva was assured of the strength and principles of the Pandava warrior did he give him the coveted weapon and instructions to use it wisely!
If parents, teachers and adults use the electronic boon judiciously, they will not forfeit the moral right

to oversee youngsters benefitting from the world wide net!
They will, in turn, pass over the torch of values to posterity and ensure that technology is not misused!