Twitter could make us immoral

Posted on 14 Apr 2009 at 10:22

Online services that that let us communicate short bursts of information at a fast pace, such as Twitter, could influence us into making immoral decisions. This is because emotions that are linked to our moral sense awaken slowly in the mind, so quick-fire information doesn't give us enough time to respond, according to a study from the University of Southern California.

The study's authors have raised questions about the emotional cost of a heavy reliance on a rapid stream of news snippets obtained through television, online feeds or social networks such as Twitter.

"If things are happening too fast, you may not ever fully experience emotions about other people's psychological states and that would have implications for your morality," said Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, one of co-authors of the study.

"For some kinds of thought, especially moral decision-making about other people's social and psychological situations, we need to allow for adequate time and reflection," she added.

The study was compiled by researchers at the university's Brain and Creativity Institute. They found that humans can sort information very quickly and can respond in fractions of seconds to signs of physical pain in others, but feelings such as admiration and compassion take much longer.

Author: Dawinderpal Sahota

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