Digital Ethics Case Studies

Sacking Social Media in College Sports

Sacking Social Media in College Sports

Should college athletes be limited in their use of social media?
Read More
The Wild West of Sports Journalism?

The Wild West of Sports Journalism?

Do the ethics of sports blogs differ from mainstream journalism, especially when covering sexual scandals?
Read More
Digital Immortality on an App

Digital Immortality on an App

When AI chatbots let us talk with the dead, what ethical issues might haunt us?
Read More
Is It Only A Game?

Is It Only A Game?

First-person shooter video games are popular. But are they ethical to enjoy?
Read More
“Some of My Best Friends are Internet Vigilantes”

“Some of My Best Friends are Internet Vigilantes”

What are the ethical issues that arise with naming and shaming racists online?
Read More
How Can I Be So Mean to Myself?

How Can I Be So Mean to Myself?

What are the ethical concerns with the new phenomena of digital self-harm?
Read More
Don’t “Like” My Children

Don’t “Like” My Children

What could go wrong when parents share information about their children online?
Read More
How to Use Case Studies in Your Class

How to Use Case Studies in Your Class

How to use case studies to integrate ethics content and skills in your classes.
Read More
When Actors Become Characters

When Actors Become Characters

What are the ethics of fictional works created by fans that involve real people as characters?
Read More
Filtering Out Cyberbullying

Filtering Out Cyberbullying

What are the ethical issues raised by Instagram's efforts to filter out cyberbullying?
Read More
To Catfish or Not to Catfish?

To Catfish or Not to Catfish?

What are the ethical problems with "catfishing" online?
Read More
Gaming the System?

Gaming the System?

What are the ethical problems with cheating in Fortnite?
Read More
Boldly Going Where Studios Have Gone Before

Boldly Going Where Studios Have Gone Before

When does fan fiction cross the line from inspired creativity to unethical stealing?
Read More
AI and Online Hate Speech

AI and Online Hate Speech

Can AI save us from online hate speech? Or will it learn our worst traits?
Read More
Google Assistant and the Ethics of AI

Google Assistant and the Ethics of AI

What ethical issues arise when realistic-sounding AI is used in human interactions?
Read More
Virtual Reality, Immersive Media, and Journalism

Virtual Reality, Immersive Media, and Journalism

What are the ethics of using virtual reality in real journalism?
Read More
Finsta Fad

Finsta Fad

What are the real ethical issues raised by fake Instagram accounts?
Read More
Swipe Right to Expose

Swipe Right to Expose

What happens when journalism meets dating apps at the Rio Olympics?
Read More
Biometrics, Data, and Privacy

Biometrics, Data, and Privacy

Does national security trade off with privacy in biometric identification?
Read More
Dying to Be Online

Dying to Be Online

What could go wrong when you die on Facebook?
Read More

More cases coming soon!

 

Case studies produced by the Media Ethics Initiative remain the intellectual property of the Media Ethics Initiative and the University of Texas at Austin. They can be used in unmodified PDF form without permission for classroom use. For use in publications such as textbooks and other works, please contact the Media Ethics Initiative.