Some people prefer putting things in black and white—this is this, and that is that. For the “gray area” in between, motivated students to CdM’s philosophy club meet to debate interesting, controversial subjects, many of which are particularly influential in the lives of young people. Another Philosophy Club meeting was held Wednesday, March 3rd.
One topic of discussion debated at the club meeting this week was if “sexting” (texting sexually explicit pictures to piers) should be made illegal. This question has arisen constantly in the past few years, as texting has become more and more popular especially among kids.
One member of Philosophy Club claimed, “It’s underage porn, so it needs to be illegal.”
However, others considered the drastic consequences of receiving one nude picture. In fact, the sender and/or receiver of the photo (depending on the situation) can even be labeled as a sex offender—a label that sticks to him or her for life.
One student said, “I don’t get why participants in a sexting situation could be labeled a sex offender if it was conscentual.”
Another topic that especially concerns the young people of today was the idea that people are gaining potentially dangerous confidence with the crutch of modern technology. With Facebook, AIM, iChat, and other instant messaging programs, individuals can find it much easier to talk to certain people without actually talking in person. Now with texting, one doesn’t even need to call someone as a way of having a conversation without meeting face-to-face; with texting, voices aren’t included and parties have more time to come up with responses. Naturally, problems may arise.
Shea O Hill said, “The internet gives people courage. Shier people can feel more comfortable being outgoing. Also, people become more courageous in confrontation, or sometimes in revenge.”
This “revenge” through modern technologies has developed the issue of cyber-bullying, a serious problem that has even resulted in death.
Getting more in touch with the outside world is much closer than flying to Washington D.C. All it takes is a trip to Room 209 for Philosophy Club meetings on Wednesdays. Share opinions, listen to others’ opinions, and learn something new.
