The documentary The Social Dilemma presents social media as an undeniable force that continues to cause unprecedented damage to society. The developers and owners of such platforms exploit its unsuspecting users using data mining and surveillance technologies. The design of different social websites is capable of causing addiction and affecting the mental health of young individuals (Orlowski, 2020). Those who use social media outlets do so without considering the implications they could have on their psychological, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
This film is informative since it offers powerful insights that relate to the issue of healthcare ethics. Specifically, the reader observes that many professionals in the field of medicine are relying on social media to pursue their aims without taking their patients’ rights seriously. For instance, sharing of confidential information on such platforms amounts to the loss of patient autonomy (Orlowski, 2020). Such malpractice is also done without getting informed consent from the targeted users. In the future, more people who rely on different platforms to post pictures and health problems will be disadvantaged since different practitioners, entrepreneurs, or hackers will be able to access such details.
Additionally, the mental health challenges and suicide rates among teenagers arising from the use of social media explain why this issue is against the non-maleficence principle. Doctors who acquire personal details to profit themselves act against the Hippocratic Oath. These actions amount to harm and make it impossible for more people to receive timely medical support. While the original intention of launching social media platforms could have been different, the reality is that they are currently causing damage since thousands of young individuals are admitted to hospitals for self-harm every month (Clark, 2018). These insights should guide policymakers to implement superior measures that can ensure that social media networks do not result in health concerns and ethical questions.
References
Clark, S. A. (2018). The impact of the Hippocratic Oath in 2018: The conflict of the ideal of the physician, the knowledgeable humanitarian, versus the corporate medical allegiance to financial models contributes to burnout. Cureus, 10(7), e3076. Web.
Orlowski, J. (2020). The social dilemma [Film]. Argent Pictures.