MODULE 6

The Good Life

INTRODUCTION
This module covers the concepts and nature of good life. It presents various learning activities
that lead students to a comprehensive understanding about good life. Students’ activities are
provided in every topic to enhance student’s knowledge, skills and desirable attitudes. It is the
goal of this module to provide students a full grasp of the meaning and conceptions of good life.

LEARNING CONTENT
The definition of the word “good” depends on various factors and how the context of life differs
to every individual. In this massive world of numerous inventions as time goes by, science and
technology has made life more convenient. Technological advancements have led to more work
opportunities, finances, health, social and political issues, education and most importantly on
daily living. Moreover, it also opens more legit explanations on society’s’ myths and beliefs
making people to increase their understanding to communities salient matters. However, the
increasing need of attaining good life and happiness has also pressing issues that may touch
our foundations on moral and ethical values.

LESSON 1. Concepts of a Good Life

In Ancient Greece, long before the word “science” has been coined, the need to understand the
world and reality was bound with the need to understand the self and the good life. For, Plato,
the task of understanding the things in the world runs parallel with the job of truly getting into
what will make the soul flourish. In an attempt to understand reality and the external world, man
must seek to understand himself, too. It is Aristotle who gave a definitive distinction between the
theoretical and practical sciences. Among the theoretical disciplines, Aristotle included logic,
biology, physics, and metaphysics, among others. Among the practical ones, Aristotle counted
ethics and politics. Whereas “truth” is the aim of the theoretical sciences, the “good” is the end
goal of the practical ones. Every attempt to know is connected in some way to find the “good” or
as said “good” is the attainment of human flourishing. Rightly so, one must find the truth about
what the good is before one can even try to locate that which is good.
In the previous lesson, we have seen how a misplaced or an erroneous idea of human
flourishing can turn tables for all of us, make the sciences work against us rather than for us,
and draw a chasm between the search for truth and for the good. In this lesson, we endeavour
to go back a little and answer these questions: What does it really mean to live a good life?
What qualifies as a good existence? Granting this understanding, we are assumed to be in a
better position to reconcile our deepest existential needs as human beings and science as tool
to maneuver around the world.
When we win a competition or we eat our favorite dish in a restaurant. What Aristotle actually
means is Human Flourishing, A kind of contentment in knowing that one is getting the best out
of life. A kind of feeling that one has maxed out his potentials in the world, that he has attained
the crux of his humanity.

Happiness as the Goal of a Good Life

In the 18th century, John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest Happiness Principle by saying that
an action is right as far as it maximizes the attainment of happiness for the greatest number of
people. At a time when people were skeptical about claims on metaphysical, people could not
make sense of the Human Flourishing that Aristotle talked about in the days of old. Mill said that
individual happiness of each individual should be prioritized and collectively dictates that the
kind of action that should be endorsed. Consider the pronouncements against mining. When
action benefits the greatest number of people, said action is deemed ethical. Does mining
benefit rather hurt the majority? Does it offer more benefits rather than disadvantages? Does
mining result in more people getting happy rather than sad? If the answers to the said questions
are in the affirmative, then the said action, mining, is deemed ethical.

The ethical is, of course, meant to lead to the Good and Happy Life. Through the ages, man has
constantly struggled with the external World in order to reach Human Flourishing. History has
give birth to different schools of thought, all of which aim for the Good and Happy Life.

LESSON 2. School of Thoughts on Good and Happy Life

Materialism
The first materialists were the atomists in Ancient Greece. Democritus and Leucippus led a
school whose primary belief is that the World is made up of and is controlled by the tiny
indivisible units in the world called “Atomos” or seeds. For Democritus and his disciples, the
world including human beings, is made up of matter. Atomos simply comes together randomly
to form the things in the World. In terms of Human Flourishing, matter is what makes us attain
happiness. We see this at work with most people who are clinging on to material wealth as the
primary source of the meaning of their existence.
Hedonism
The Hedonists, for their part, see the end goal of life in acquiring pleasure. Pleasure has always
been the priority of Hedonists. For them, life is about obtaining and indulging in pleasure
because life is limited. The mantra of this school of thought is the famous, “Eat, Drink and be
Merry for Tomorrow We Die.” Led by Epicurus, this school of thought also does not buy any
notion of afterlife just like the materialists.
Stoicism
Another school of thought led by Epicurus, the Stoics espoused the idea that to generate
happiness, one must learn to distance oneself and be apathetic. The original term, “apatheia”,
precisely means to be indifferent. for the Stoics, happiness can only be attained by a careful
practice of apathy. We should, in this Worldview, adopt the fact that some things are not within
our control. The sooner we realize this, the happier we can become.
Theism
Most people find the meaning of their lives using God as a fulcrum of their existence. The
Philippines, as a predominantly Catholic country, is witness to how people base their life goals
on beliefs that hinged on some form of supernatural reality called Heaven. The ultimate basis of
happiness for this is the Communion with God. The world where we are in is only just temporary
reality where we have to manoeuvre around while waiting for the ultimate return to the hands of
God.
Humanism
Humanism as another school of thought espouses the freedom of man to carve his own destiny
and to legislate his own laws, free from the shackles of a God that monitors and controls. For
Humanists, man is literally the Captain of his own ship. Inspired by the enlightenment in the 17th
century, Humanist see themselves not merely as stewards of the creation but as individuals who
are in control of themselves and the world outside them. This is the spirit of most Scientists who
thought that the Worlds is a place and space for freely unearthing the world in seeking for ways
on how to improve the lives of its inhabitants.

As a result of the motivation of the Humanist current, scientists eventually turned to Technology
in order to ease the difficulty of life as illustrated in the previous lessons. Scientists of today
meanwhile are ready to confront more sophisticated attempts at altering the World for the
benefit of humanity. Some people now are willing to tamper with time and space in the name of
Technology. Social Media, as example, has been so far a very effective way of employing
Technology in purging time and space. Not very long ago, Communication between two people
from the continents in the plane will involve months of waiting for mail to arrive. Now,
Communication between two people where ever they are, is not just possible but easy. The
internet and Smart phones made real time communication possible not just between two
people, but even with multiple people simultaneously.

Technology allowed us to tinker with our sexuality. Biologically male individuals now undergo
medical operation if they so wish for sexual reassignment .Breast implants are now available
and can be done with relative convenience if anyone wishes to have one. Hormones may also
be injected in order to alter the sexual chemicals in the body.
Whether or not we agree with these technological advancements, these are all undertaken in
the hopes of attaining the Good Life. The balance, however, between the Good Life, ethics, and
Technology has to be attained.

SUMMARY
Man is constantly in pursuit of the good life. Every person has his perspective when it
comes to what comprises the good life. Throughout history, man has worked hard in pointing
out what amounts to a good, happy life. Some people like the classical theorists thought that
happiness ha to do with the insides of the human persons. The soul, the seat of our humanity,
has been the focus of attention of this end goal. The soul has to attain a balance in order to
have a good life, a life of flourishing. It was until the 17th century that happiness became
centerpiece in the lives of people, have been becoming a full blown ethical foundation in John
Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism. At present, we see multitudes of schools of thought that all promise
their own key to finding happiness. Science and technology has been, for the most part, at the
forefront of man’s attempts at finding this happiness. The only question at the end of the day is
whether science is taking the right path toward attaining what is really means to live a good life.

MODULE 7
 When Technology and Humanity Cross

INTRODUCTION
Our world is entering a period of truly transformative change where many of us will be surprised
by the scale and pace of developments we simply hadn‟t anticipated, the exponential
technological advances offer tremendous potential, and with these opportunities cone
tremendous new responsibilities.

LEARNING CONTENT

The ever-growing tracing back its origins, the word TECHNOLOGY came from the Greek words
“techne” and “logos” which means A discourse on art (Buchanan, 2010). It is appeared in the
seventeenth century where the concept was only used to talk about the arts, specifically applied
arts, However, as technology progressed, the concept also started to have a wider range of
meaning where art is no longer the only topic include but also in the Concepts like machines
and tools were also attached to the word “technology”

In one way or another, each person in the society is directly or indirectly affected by technology
whether he wills it or not. In fact, most people survive their everyday lives with great reliance to
the different technological advancements already available to the masses. While there may be
some who would claim that their lives are not greatly affected by technology, the fact cannot be
denied that technology is already an inevitable part of the society.

In general, technology keeps progressing due to not only the changing times and environment
but also to the ever-progressing mind of mankind. However, it is also important to note that
anything too much is bad. The same problem is faced by technology. Although it has been very
helpful to people, it is still not to immune to criticism and backlash. Various ethical dilemmas
involving the use of technological devices have been identified throughout time involving the use
of different technological devices and its effects to humanity. Usually different problems arise
when either the technological device available is misused or if in the first place, it was invented
to produce bad results.

LESSON 1. Some Technological Devices

Television
● According to Kantar Media, in the Philippines 92 percent of urban homes and 70
percent of rural homes own at least one television set.
● Households with TV set reached 15.135M (Noda, 2012)
● Ultimate medium for advertisement placements
● Almost all use this particular type of device
● Television plays a great role in the lives of the people
● Television was a product of different experiments by various people

Paul Gottlieb Nipkow

In the late 1800s, he was a successful in his attempt to send images through wires with the aid
of a rotating metal disk (Nipkow disk) this invention was then called “electric telescope” that had
18 lines of resolution.
Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton and Boris Rosing
An English Scientist and Russian scientist, created a new system of television by using the
cathode ray tube in addition to the mechanical scanner system. This success story gave rise to
two type of television systems, namely, mechanical and electronic television.

Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are considered a must-have among young Filipinos (ABS-CBN News, 2010)
● 1 out of 3 Filipinos cannot live without a mobile phone (Ipsos Media Atlas Philippines
Nationwide Urban 2011- 2012)
● Almost 30 percent of the Philippines urban population nationwide said that mobile
phones are necessities (Roa, 2012).
Mobile phone used by Martin Cooper, senior engineer at Motorola, made the world‟s first mobile
phone call. He called their rival telecommunication company and properly informed them that he
was making the call from a mobile phone.
The following are the features of the mobile used by Cooper:
Weighed 1.1 kg
Measured 228.6 x 127 x 44.4mm 30-minute talk time
10 hours to charge
Motorola DynaTAC 8000x in 1983

Computers and Laptops

These gadgets have also become part of many Filipino households. Some families owns more
than one computer or laptop while some household own at least one. But due to relatively high
prices, not all Filipino families to own atleast one computer or laptop. The most profits gained by
computer and laptop manufacturers come from offices, businesses, or schools. However, there
is still an increasing number of Filipinos who continuously using the internet

Charles Babbage, an English and Mathematics professor designed the analytical engine in the
19th century. The British government has commissioned before a Difference Engine, a simpler
calculating machine but Babbage was

Fig.7.3 Martin Cooper using Dynatac Mobile Phone of Motorola

find ways to improve it by generalizing its operation that could perform other kinds of
calculations. Hence, the creation of analytical engine was used as the basic framework of the
computers even until the present time.

In the Philippines, a typical household owns at least four of the following devices (Philstar,
2013):

● A mobile phone (89%)

 ● Smartphone (53%)
● Tablet (14%)
● Desktop (39%)
● Laptop or netbook (37%)
● Smart TV (4%)
●
Facts about Filipinos and their use of gadgets and the Internet:
● Mobile phone subscription is at 119M
● 3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 hours on desktop daily
● Ph has one of the highest digital populations in the world 47M active FB accounts
● Fastest-growing application market in South East Asia

LESSON 2. Roles Played by these Technological Advancements

The products of technology has increased strong inclination in a certain household as it

becomes essential in their living such as television sets, mobile phones and computers or
laptops. Among Filipino users, the following were specifically the roles these technology
products played in their lives

a. Television
- Mainly used as a platform for advertisements and information
dissemination.
- Serves as a recreational activity and good stress relievers to most
Filipino families.
- Platform for different propagandas and advocacies.
b. Mobilephones
- Primarily used for communication (texting, calling, chatting, videocalls
etc.).
- Surf the internet and to take photos and videos.
c. Personal computers and Laptops
- Surf the internet and communication.
- Have features like the mobile phones calendar, calculator, music
player, movie player, camera, etc.
- Has wide keyboard and monitor screen unlike mobile phones hence,
better for presentation and other online/offline activities.
- Best used for computer games

Ethical Dilemmas Faced by These Technological Advancements

1. Mostparentswouldarguethatthesedevicesmaketheirchildrenlazyand unhealthy
2. Peoplearefreelyexposedtodifferentthingsontelevisions,mobilephones, laptops or
computers

ROBOTICS and HUMANITY

Another great product of the innovative minds of the people is the ROBOTS. The international
Federation of Robotics (IRF) and United Nations Economic and Commission for Europe
(UNICE) made it their task to formulate a working definition for service robots to particularly do
specific task but focus mainly in assisting their masters in their everyday tasks. The following
are the relevant definition for a robot (IFR, 2021):

● A robot is an actuated mechanism programmable in two or more axes with a degree of

autonomy, moving within its environment, to perform intended tasks. Autonomy is the
ability to perform intended tasks based on current state and sensing without human
intervention.
● Service Robot is a robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding
industrial application. A robot may be classified according to its intended application as
an industrial robot or a service robot.
● Personal Service Robot is a robot used for a noncommercial task, usually by
laypersons. For example: domestic servant robot, automated wheelchair, personal
mobility assist robot, pet exercising robot.
● Professional Service Robot is a service robot for professional use. It is also used for a
commercial task, usually operated by a properly trained operator. For example: cleaning
robot for public places, delivery robot, firefighting robot, rehabilitation robot, surgery
robot.

Roles played by Robotics

- Ease the workload of mankind
- Make life more efficient and less stressful
- Perform complicated activities
- Pleasure, entertainment in parks or exhibits
- Toys, child-friendly
- Used in movies

Isaac Asimov
● He was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He
formulated a rules and characteristics that define what a good robots is and was thinking
of the ethical consequences of robots

"Three Laws of Robotics"

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to
harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict
with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the
First or Second Law.

Ethical Dilemma/s faced by Robotics

1. Safety
 ● Who should be held accountable if someone‟s safety is compromised by a robot?
● Who should be blamed, the robot, the agent using the robot, or the maker/inventor of
the robot?
2. Emotionalcomponent
● It is not completely impossible for robots to develop emotions.
● What if robots become sentient?
● Should they be granted robot rights?

Technology has been seen as some form of necessity due to its impacts on how society works
today. It is evident that technology keeps o advancing not only because of the changing times
but also to the ever- progressing mind of mankind. But it is still necessary to note that too much
on anything is bad and this goes also with technology. Despite the usefulness and benefits from
the use of technology there are still problems that should not be set aside. Specifically, these
problems are ethical in nature that involves both machine and mankind. It should be noted that
ethics should be enforced in the field of technology to ensure safety and morality of these
devices to the community.

MODULE 8
Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us?

INTRODUCTION
In this module, we will focus in discussing the article of Bill Joy on “Why the Future Doesn’t
Need Us” and dig deeper on the concept of Artificial Intelligences through watching a
documentary film. After completing the module, you should be able to answer the following:

In April of 2000, Bill Joy ignited a heated discussion concerning the role of technology in
modern society. His article in Wired magazine entitled “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us”
became the focus of a growing concern that technological advances are coming so quickly and
are so dramatic that they threaten the future existence of humanity itself. He argues that the
21st century technologies such as
genetic engineering, nanotechnology and robotics (GNR) are a great threat that they might
wipe out the human race from face of the Earth.

LEARNING CONTENT
In the Philippines, modern technology has gradually flourished. It is something that we use in
our everyday lives because it makes the tasks we come across in our daily activities much
easier. Without a doubt, technology can help to make a society more productive, and growing
productivity is a major predictor for future increases in standards of living. However, technology
can likewise lead to large impact on a person’s physical, mental, psychological aspect if abused
thoroughly. It can cause harm to both the environment and individuals.

LESSON 1. An Argument on Dangers of Technology to Humanity

Bill Joy argues that humanity is in danger from technologies that he believes are just around the
corner. His concern is that robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology present risks
unlike anything we have created in the past. The key to understanding these new risks is the
fact that these technologies share one remarkable potential; that is, self-replication.
Recently, some people have expressed concerns about the effects of technology. The most
dominant concern these days is artificial technology (AI) that would replace people in jobs.
Some people worry that robots and the internet might eventually replace people in the work
field. Joy believes that we will have intelligent robots by 2030, nano replicators by 2020, and
that the genetic revolution is already upon us. We all have a picture of what an intelligent robot
might look like. Hollywood has given us many stories of that kind of technology gone wrong; the
Terminator series for example. Surprisingly, Bill Joy concludes “The only realistic alternative I
see is relinquishment: to limit development of the technologies that are too dangerous by
limiting our pursuit of certain kinds of knowledge.”

LESSON 2. On Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building
smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. AI is an
interdisciplinary science with multiple approaches, but advancements in machine learning and
deep learning are creating a paradigm shift in virtually every sector of the tech industry.

In the paper published in the internet society organization, although artificial

intelligence evokes thoughts of science fiction, artificial intelligence already has many uses
today, for example:

Email filtering: Email services use artificial intelligence to filter incoming emails. Users can train
their spam filters by marking emails as “spam”.
Personalization: Online services use artificial intelligence to personalize your experience.
Services, like Amazon or Netflix, “learn” from your previous purchases and the purchases of
other users in order to recommend relevant content for you.
Fraud detection: Banks use artificial intelligence to determine if there is strange activity on your
account. Unexpected activity, such as foreign transactions, could be flagged by the algorithm.
Speech recognition: Applications use artificial intelligence to optimize speech recognition
functions. Examples include intelligent personal assistants, e.g. Amazon’s “Alexa” or Apple’s
“Siri”.

The advancement of artificial intelligence and robotics poses challenges on its socio-economic
impacts, transparency, bias and accountability, new uses of data, security and safety, ethics
and new ecosystems. With this, adoption of ethical standard is needed to promote ethical
considerations in innovation policies.

Bill Joy’s article “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us” provides an extensive analysis of the new
technologies’ development in terms of their ethical dimensions. Examining the nature of NGR
technologies, the author defines their destructive power as self-replication, which complicates or
even makes impossible keeping them under control. This power creates the weapon of
knowledge-enabled mass destruction (KMD), which is dangerous enough to assume the
extinction of humanity in the coming years.

Joy suggests the establishment of new ethics as the possible prevention of this threat. However,
his belief in this is not convincing. As NGR technologies have mostly commercial uses (Joy,
2009, p.294), they would be developed with lucrative purposes even if the scientific community
accepts the common ethical rules regarding this researches. Their extreme destructive power
makes me rather pessimistic regarding the future of the Earth.

MODULE 9
The Information Age (Gutenberg to Social Media)

INTRODUCTION
Information links every individual to its community and it is an important tool for continued
existence. Nowadays, information can be quickly transferred or shared due to rapid
technological advancement. The increasing development of information technology influences
various areas of the society such as economics, industry, communication, health, environment
and education. However, information technology advancement also poses some drawbacks in
the society.

The Information Age is defined as “ (Merriam-Webster.com, n.d.). The way information was
conveyed among humans has evolved over time, from symbolic information and codes using
the earliest writing and calculating system to effortless access on information through
publication and computer networks.

LEARNING CONTENT
In the proposed Theory of Information Age (1982) by James Messenger, the Information Age is
a true new age based upon the interconnection of computers via telecommunications primarily
driven for convenience, user-friendliness and user dependence. Hence, the increasing speed of
information technology is associated with the development of computers thus; The Information
Age is also called the Digital Age and the New Media Age.

LESSON 1. The Gutenberg Era and Some Facts about Information Age

Information and the way it was shared and disseminated has evolved in many ways and
different means. From the use of Sumerian writing system using pictographs imprinted to rock
tablets in 3000 BC, the way information was conveyed, collected and mange has been
massively improving. During 1450s, the period of which the invention of movable metal type
printing press by Johannes Gutenberg leaves an extraordinary impact to government, social
and cultural revolution. The abrupt widespread distribution of printed works, books, tracts,
posters and papers, gives an important role in the direct rise of European Renaissance and
contributed a lot the way information was driven nowadays.
Since the production of books and pamphlets become easier, information started to spread
drastically. In the past, access to books is a luxurious activity and only few were able to read
and write. But as the number of reading materials increases and became more accessible in the
public, the increased literacy among the people become evident.

Nowadays, many people rely to various modes of media outlets both printed and online
including many social media outputs With many major changes the community is facing,
information started to grow at a rate we were unprepared to handle (Serafica, et.al. 2018). The
evolution of Information Age has many contrasting ideas among various authors but Serafica,
et.al. (2018) cited the article of Robert Harris on the “Truths of the Information Age” which
details some facts on the Information Age.

1. Information Must Compete.

2. Newer Is Equated With Truer.
3. Selectionisaviewpoint.
4. Themediasellswhattheculturebuys.
5. The Early Worm Gets The Perm.
6. Youarewhatyoueat And So Is Your Brain.
7. Anything In Great Demand Will Be Counterfeited. 8. Ideas Are Seen As Controversial.
9. Undeadinformationwalkseveron.
10.Media presence creates the story.
11. The medium selects the message.
12.The whole truth is a pursuit.

Despite the many issues on data and information sharing, it is noted that the Information Age
will continue to advance with time and far greater than our thoughts could conceive.
To know more about the Information Age, check the given link.

LESSON 2. The Internet and World Wide Web

The internet is a worldwide system of interconnected networks in facilitating the transmission of

variety of data and information using standardized communication protocols. In the early 1960s,
the idea of an “Intergalactic
Network” of computers was popularized by Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider. Not long after, one of
the major building blocks of the internet was developed called “packet switching”, a method for
effectively transmitting electronic data. With this, the first workable prototype of the internet
known as ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) was originally funded by
the U.S. Department of Defense to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single
network through packet switching. Internet was mainly used during 1970s for military
transactions and some research activities.

However, phone lines in the early days can only transmit information at a limited rate and slow
connectivity among internet users are one of the issues encountered. Fiber-optic cables and
faster microprocessors were developed for computers to process incoming billions of data as
per instructions to produce data outputs and to provide high-speed data connection.

A communications model called Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP
was developed by Robert Khan and Vinton Cerf. This model was used to set standards for how
data could be transmitted between multiple networks. In 1983, TCP/IP was adopted by
ARPANET and this has become a platform for researchers to assemble the so called “network
of networks” and the foundation of the modern internet.

In 1990, the development of World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee gained popularity in the
online world. The internet and World Wide Web differ to one another because the web is a
service of the internet. The web is the most common means of accessing lots of interconnected
documents and resources online with their specific locations in the form of websites and
hyperlinks.

The use of web served as a crucial step in developing the immense build-up of information that
most of the public can now access online anytime and anywhere. Nowadays, billions of people
are engaged in online any time of the day. The internet creates a large impact to the many
sectors of the community such as social, political, and financial views and happenings. It has
been noted that in the past decade, e- commerce business has been trending and will still
increase with the next years.

Issues and Challenges on “Surfing the Net”

The internet had provided new forms of communication. Messages can now be sent and
received conveniently. From written letters that may take several days to receive can now be
read nowadays in just a few minutes upon sending. Internet service providers had set up open
areas of cyberspace such as chat rooms where
interested parties could join in a conversation either publicly or privately. “Surfing the Net”
became a pastime by many (Cited by Serafica, et.al 2018 in the USHistory.org,
2017). Distance and timelines across the globe has no longer a hurdle in communication. Not
only does the internet was used for recreation and communication but also the delivery of
services and business venture.

In the current Information Age, business companies who worked on digitized information have
been given high value in just a short period of time. Bill Gates’s of
Microsoft, Steve Jobs of Apple’s, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook’s and Jack Ma of Alibaba and
many other people has taken a big toll on the online business world.

On the other hand, the Internet has unregulated nature that may allow threats to endanger
many people. According to David Cunliffe on safety, security and privacy challenges in the new
digital world, the following are recent examples of cyber threats:
 ● The theft of money from the accounts of a bank customer by someone who had installed
key logging software on their home computer – the bank refunded the losses but the
customer stated she would not use Internet banking again;
● “Phishing” attacks whereby spam emails are sent out, purporting to be from a bank,
asking the recipient to confirm their bank security information by responding to a
specified electronic address;
● The use of “covert filming” using digital cameras and the uploading of images taken on
the Internet;
● Identity theft where a person’s details are stolen so that a criminal can engage in
fraudulent activity using the stolen identity.

The Springer Nature, a global publisher of articles and research studies presented a new report
(2018) regarding the common problems identified among researchers on data sharing. It was
noted that researchers also have dilemma on lack of clarity about copyright and licensing, costs
of data sharing and not knowing which repository to use. Therefore, it is recommended that
increased support the learning of good data management among researchers should be
provided by research institutions particularly for those starting their research career as they
build
their strong foundation to data creation and sharing.

Cyberbullying is also an alarming issue worldwide especially among the children. In the
UNICEF U-Report (2019), cyberviolence affects almost half of Filipino children aged 13-17.
One-third of cyberviolence experienced by Filipino children are in the form of verbal abuse over
the internet or cellphone, while a fourth are through sexual messages. More females received
messages of sexual nature or content than males. However, twice as many males than females
reported having their nude body or sexual activities, whether real or falsified, shown on the
internet or cellphone. It is also reported that almost three-quarters of young people from 30
countries said that social networks including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter are the
most common platforms for online bullying. Cyberbullying can create lasting emotional and
psychological scars, even physical harm. Children are very vulnerable and can easily access
the internet, making them an easy target on online violence.

Checking the Reliability of Web Sources

Websites create an interesting challenge in evaluating credibility and usefulness because no
two websites are created the same way and some web sources can be biased and misleading.
To avoid misinformation, the following guidelines are considered. (Lee College Library, n.d.)
1. Who authored (wrote) the site? How to find out: Look for an “About” or “More about the
Author” link at the top, bottom or sidebar of the webpage. Some pages will have a corporate
author rather than a single person as an author. If no information about the author(s) of the
page is provided, be suspicious. „
● Does the author provide his/her credentials?
● What type of expertise does s/he have on the subject s/he is writing about?
● Does s/he indicate what his/her education is?
● What type of experience s/he has? Should you trust his/her knowledge of the subject? „
Try searching more information about the author.
● What kinds of websites are associated with your author’s name? Is s/he affiliated with
any education institutions?
● Do commercial sites come up? Do the websites associated with the author give you any
clues to particular biases the author might have? “Google” with caution – remember that
sometimes more than one person can share the same name.
2. Who Published The Site?How To Find Out:
● Look at the domain name of the website – that will tell you who is hosting the site. For
instance, the Lee College Library website is:
● Do a search on the domain name at http://www.whois.sc/. This site provides information
about the owners of registered domain names.What is the organization’s main purpose?
Check the organization’s main website, if it has one. Is it educational? Commercial? Is it
a reputable organization? „
● Don’t ignore the suffix on the domain name (the three-letter part that comes after the
“.”). The suffix is usually (but not always) descriptive of what type of entity hosts the
website. Keep in mind that it is possible for sites to obtain suffixes that are misleading.

Here are some examples: „

.edu = educational „ .com = commercial „
.mil = military
.gov = government „
.org = nonprofit

3. What is the main purpose of the site? Why did the author write it and the publisher post it? „
● To sell a product? „
● As a personal hobby? „
● As a public service? „
● To further scholarship on a topic? „
● To provide general information on a topic? „ To persuade you of a particular point of
view?
Scan also the homepage of the website.
● Is it cluttered with advertising?
● Does the page appear to be professionally designed?
● Is the writing trying to persuade you to buy something?
4. Who's The Intended Audience?
● Scholars or the general public?
● Issues and Challenges on “Surfing the Net”Which age group is it written for?
● Is it aimed at people from a particular geographic area?
● Is it aimed at members of a particular profession or with specific training?
5. What Is The Quality Of Information Provided On The Website?
● Timeliness: when was the website first published? Is it regularly updated? Check for
dates at the bottom of each page on the site. „ Different publication dates will be
acceptable depending on which type of information you’re looking for. If you’re looking
for statistics, information on current events, or information in fields like science,
 technology or healthcare, you probably need the most up-to-date information available. If
you’re looking for information that doesn’t change, such as Mark Twain’s date of birth or
who led the Union Army in the Civil War, it may not matter as much if the website is a
little older as long as it is published/authored by a reputable source.
● Does the author cite sources? Just as in print sources, web sources that cite their
sources are considered more reliable. It shows that the author has done his/her
homework and is familiar with scholarship in the field.
● What type of other sites does the website link to? Are they reputable sites? If the author
references online material, does s/he provides links to the material referenced?
● What type of sites link to the website you’re evaluating? Is the website being cited by
others? Does it include reputable or well- known sites?
6. How does it all add up? Compare the information you’ve gathered about your website to your
information needs -- does this website provide an appropriateness of fit? Not all websites will
work for all purposes – a website that is fine for finding general information on a disease may
not work for a nursing student’s paper. If you are in doubt, ask your instructor or a librarian for
help.

Reliable websites usually have a more professional look and feel than personal web sites.
There are also additional things you want to consider when looking at a website (Harold B. Lee
Library):

● Informational Resources are those which present factual information. These are usually
sponsored by educational institutions or governmental agencies. (These resources often
include .edu or .gov.)
● Advocacy Resources are those sponsored by an organization that is trying to sell ideas
or influence public opinion. (These resources may include .org within the URL.)
● Business or Marketing Resourcesare those sponsored by a commercial entity that is
trying to sell products. These pages are often very biased, but can provide useful
information. (You will usually find .com within the URL of these resources.)
● News Resourcesare those which provide extremely current information on hot topics.
Most of the time news sources are not as credible as academic journals, and
newspapers range in credibility from paper to paper. (The URL will usually include .com.
● Personal Web Pages/Resources are sites such as social media sites: blogs, Twitter
pages, Facebook, etc. These sources can be helpful to determine what people are
saying on a topic and what discussions are taking place. Exercise great caution if trying
to incorporate these sources directly into an academic paper. Very rarely, if ever, will
they hold any weight in the scholarly community.

Moreover, more advertisements in the web page can indicate that the information may be less
reliable. Broken or incorrect links can mean that no one is taking care of the site and other
information on it may be out-of-date or unreliable.

LESSON 3. Netiquette
Netiquette is a term used for Network Etiquette, or Internet Etiquette. Online interactions are
becoming as important as face-to-face ones. As the online social presence continues to grow,
so does the need for rules of conduct to reinforce respect, kindness, and understanding in this
growing platform of communication.

According to Virginia Shea, d ubbed the "network manners guru" by the San Jose Mercury
News, has defined “
Netiquette” as a set of rules for behaving properly online. When you enter any new culture,
you’re liable to commit a few social blunders. Needless to say, you might offend people without
meaning to or you might misunderstand what others say and take offense when it's not
intended. To make matters worse, something about cyberspace makes it easy to forget that
you're interacting with other real people not just codes and number characters on a screen,
but live human characters.

In her book Netiquette, Writer Virginia Shea wrote these important guidelines:
● Remember the human – this is the Golden Rule of internet communications. Always be
aware that you are talking to a person, not a device. Therefore, the same rules of
courtesy apply.
● Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
● Know where you are in cyberspace – netiquette varies from domain to domain.
● What is acceptable in a chat room may not be appropriate in a professional forum so
“think before you click”.
● Respect other people’s time and bandwidth- not everyone has stable internet
connection and time zones.
● Make yourself look good online – spelling and grammar count! Always write thoughtful
posts and keep your language clean.
● Share expert knowledge. Check the
● Help keep flame wars under control
● Respect other people’s privacy
● Don’t abuse your power
● Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes

Information evolved with human race and information is easily transferred and shared
nowadays. The major changes in sharing information affects various aspects of our society such
as communication, health, economics, industry, education, social interaction and the
environment. However, there are noted positive and negative impacts of this technological
advancement. People should be aware on the vast information and data presented that might
help or harm them along the way. Through careful verifying of information, this will avoid
miscommunication and believing to fake data before sharing and using them. Moreover, people
must be more responsible in giving their personal information and the use of various social
media. Information should be shared to help and improve the lives of the people.

MODULE 10
 Biodiversity and Healthy Society

INTRODUCTION
Biodiversity implies the entire variety of all living organisms on Earth’s surface. It is present
everywhere in the biosphere. It embodies all life forms whether they may be monerans, protists,
fungi, flora, or fauna, as they were formed into their niche or they were shaped from their
habitats. It creates the basis of the immeasurable range of provisioning services from the
ecosystem to help make Earth habitable to humans. It contributes further to people’s way of life
in many ways.

Man certainly depends on ecosystem products and services for valuable human health and
suitable livelihoods. More so, biodiversity includes usefulness for potential benefits not yet
identified, such as new medicines and other possible unknown services. Thus, ecosystem
biodiversity is valued not only for what it has but also for what it may provide more to life.
Hence, if men want to continue gaining from the abundance of these natural goods and
services, the biodiversity that established them must be preserved.

LEARNING CONTENT Concept Map

LESSON 1. Biodiversity Defined

Etymological Definition:
Biodiversity is a term coined by an American evolutionary biologist, Edward O. Wilson and was
used by Walter G. Rosen in 1985, contracting two distinct words: bios (life) and diversity
(variety, assortment).

Real Definition:
The variety of all forms of life and is essential to the existence and proper
functioning of all ecosystems. (EPA, 2017)

● The sum of all the different species of micro and macro-organisms living on Earth and
the variety of habitats in which they live.
● The complex network of different species found in ecosystems and the dynamic niche
performed between them.
● The sum of all the different species of animals, plants, fungi, and microbial organisms
living on Earth and the variety of habitats in which they live. (Microsoft Encarta, 2009)
● Biodiversity is an array of all variable living forms on Earth.

LESSON 2. Importance of Biodiversity in an Ecosystem

Biodiversity sustains habitats for all species by. providingexceptional environments for each of
them to survive. It is fundamental for the provision of ecosystem services, which flora and fauna
as well as humans depend on for food, air, water security, and other essential natural benefits.
Biodiversity is vital for maintaining equilibrium in an ecosystem.
Biological diversity is often recognized into these different levels:

1. Genetic Diversity
- corresponds to the wide-ranging characteristics in the genetic makeup contained in each of the
micro-organisms, fungi, plants and animals.
- it is the total number of genetic characteristics as well as chromosomes present in the genetic
makeup of a single species.

Remember this!
o Genetic diversity serves as a way for population of species to adapt to changing
environments.
o Greater genetic diversity increases the chance for survival of a population as the ecosystem
changes. There is a direct relationship between genetic diversity and survival of population in an
ecosystem.

2. Species Diversity
- the number of different kinds of organisms found in a particular habitat - the existence of a
wide range of different types of organisms at a
given place and time
- the population of species and the relative abundance of each species a community

Remember this!
● Species diversity can be measured by counting the population of each species.
● As species diversity increases, the health of the ecosystem increases.
● Most likely, species diversity is directly proportional with health of ecosystem.
3. Ecosystem Diversity
– it is a measure of the variety of biotic and abiotic factors present in a particular area or in the
biosphere.
Remember this!
● Rainforest usually have high ecosystem diversity and deserts or Polar Regions usually
have low ecosystem diversity.
● An ecosystem with higher diversity is more productive than an ecosystem with lower
biodiversity.
● As ecosystem diversity increases, the health of the ecosystem also increases. o
Generally, ecosystem diversity is directly proportional to health of the ecosystem.

LESSON 3. Importance of Biodiversity to Human Lives

Generally, rich biodiversity is necessary to make an ecosystem functional in order to support

human survival. Man primarily obtains his basic needs, also known as goods, from biodiversity
such as food, shelter, air, water, temperature, fuel, medicine, and others for his existence.
Further, the interaction of the diverse groups of biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem
provide crucial regulating services such as: oxygen production, water purification, soil formation,
climate regulation, nutrient cycling, pest and disease control and many more.

According to WJU/CET (2020), below are innumerable importance of healthy ecosystems and
rich biodiversity that make Earth habitable for billions of years.

● Increase ecosystem productivity; each species in an ecosystem has a specific niche—a

role to play
● Support a larger number of plant species and, therefore, a greater variety of crops.
● Protect freshwater resources
● Promote soils formation and protection
● Provide for nutrient storage and recycling
● Aid in breaking down pollutants
● Contribute to climate stability
● Speed recovery from natural disasters
● Provide more food resources
● Provide more medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs
● Offer environments for recreation and tourism

Biodiversity has cultural value to humans as well. According to AMNH,

human cultural diversity is included as a part of biodiversity and the term ―biocultural‖ is used
to depict the vibrant interconnectedness between people and ecosystem. This perception
recognizes the fact that human knowledge and beliefs transform, and in turn are influenced, by
the ecological systems of which human communities are a part. This relationship makes all of
biodiversity play an important role in maintaining a diverse and healthy biosphere.

Significance of Biodiversity to Human Health

One of the most important markers of sustainable development is human health. Biodiversity
on the other hand, provides the necessary goods
and services for man’s sustenance. These premises give a concrete concept that ―Biodiversity
is the foundation for human health‖.

Biodiversity enhances ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, has its
own niche. Greater species diversity warrants natural sustainability for all life forms.
As asserted by Mission (2015), biodiversity is essential for a wide array of natural systems to
exist and thrive. In the environment, everything is connected. One break in the chain can cause
a major malfunction and halt these processes. To preserve those most important to us, we must
preserve them all, for the parts must be preserved to preserve the whole.