China's stance onethical issues in wireless technology.

Solution Preview

Isn't wireless technology great! Most of us don't marvel enough at the technology that we carry around and enjoy every day. Cell phones are typically viewed more as an annoyance than as a technological marvel. When someone's phone goes off in the movie theatre or in church people turn and give a disapproving stare rather than applaud or congratulate the person on their possession of the latest technology. Wireless cell phone technology is a modern marvel though. The possibility one person standing in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park speaking with another person walking down Wall Street in New York City was unimaginable just a few decades ago yet today we take it for granted.

Wireless internet is another amazing technology that we complain about when it doesn't work the way we want it to but that we don't truly appreciate on a daily basis. Isn't it amazing that I can sit at a café in Paris with a cappuccino next to my laptop and Skype a friend living in Chiang Mai, Thailand! No wires, complete freedom of movement, amazing! An even smaller (dimensionally) miracle of technology is the proliferation of handheld wireless devices that are revolutionizing social networking, job productivity and gaming. Where do my kids want to eat when we travel long distance to visit relatives? Well, pretty much anywhere as long as they have free Wi-Fi. While we eat our burgers or fried chicken we can check the stock market, sports scores, chat with friends, and check our calendars or play games on our IPod touch or some other handheld wireless device.

When we get back in the car we continue to use wireless gadgets. Perhaps even before turning on the car I boot up the GPS system. This amazing wireless technology allows me to know where I am and how to get to where I want to go. It will also tell me how fast I am traveling, my average speed, and my estimated time of arrival and will also tell where rest stops, restaurants and other tourist destinations are located. As I follow the directions of my GPS I can be conducting business on my Bluetooth wireless device and not have to hold a cell phone. These are only a handful of the wireless devices that impact our lives each and every day. They make our lives more convenient in numerous ways. However, wireless technology has also introduced interesting ethical and moral dilemmas into society as well.

Many of the ethical questions are not necessarily new they are just different as a result of the aspects of the new technology. Parents have worried about the friends their children choose and what their children are doing since prehistoric times. Fifty years ago we would have the discussion about whether it is ethical to look at your child's diary when they weren't around or to call ...