Ethics and toxic online behavior

In the context of media literacy promotion, an examination of values and attitudes toward social issues is increasingly playing a role. However, due to the general accessibility and difficult controllability of the Internet, also because of the possibility of anonymity, moral norms have only limited effect. This is where we should take a closer look: What "new" agreements are needed among Internet users, and above all, what agreements are needed as orientation for children and young people? What values should these "new" rules on the Internet be based on?

But we also need to ask at the level of producers and companies: How should we act as producers of media communication acts? According to which standards should the structures of regional, national and global media systems be designed?

Ethics - the theory of right action

In contrast to morality, ethics takes a critical distance to individual value standards and convictions: It takes into account different living conditions and perspectives, must present good arguments why certain values and norms should apply, and reflects on their significance for the individual and society. Ethics thus substantiates the answers to the question "What should I do?" and formulates consensual criteria that offer guidance for action. Ethics can therefore also be described as a theory of right action.

The "media ethics roadmap" can be used to develop one's own attitude - an ethos - to the issues. It is divided into seven different steps and includes questions for reflection, which can be used to explore the topics in a very concrete way at a reflective level.