Brain mapping technology is gaining recognition in this scientific world. It has a wide prospect of contribution, ranging from the study of emotion to moral judgment and to disease diagnosis. Even though brain mapping has many bright sides, misusing it will cause unethical abuses. One of the major negative impacts from the use of this technology is information invasion. With this advance technology, it increases information accessibility. Consequently, it increases the opportunity for criminals to invade any protected information by just analyzing the brain activities of any victims. This is a very detrimental to a nation as it threatens national security. The major ethical issue would prevail from the use of brain mapping is the consideration of implementing such technology into young children (Lou Marano, 2003). Parents who are compulsive of their children future will allow such implementation to be done unto their children in order to know what future holds for them. For example, knowing that their child is not academic talented, parents will invest less in their education even though their children might show interest in education. Hence, the future if their children will be affected.
To minimize such unethical abuses, one of the ways is scientist should set the guidelines and standards of the usage of the brain mapping technology. Regulations and rules are to be setup in a way such that it does not promote technology exploitation. Permission by authority is needed before one can implement brain mapping and it is only allowed in certain necessary situations only, particularly disease treatment. Scientists should also do a thorough on this field whether we can totally depend on it to determine a person’s characteristic, especially in the case of a young child. This is because environment could be another factor that might able to change the child’s behavior and thinking. Hence, Scietist should come out a concrete explanation so that parents would not undermine the capability of their children.
Brain mapping technology is a very intriguing technology yet it can bring harm to human if it is not operated accordingly to rules in which ethics should be taken into consideration. Hence, unethical abuses of such technology should be minimized so that this technology is fully benefited for the right purposes.
Reference:
1.Lou Marano, (June 3, 2003). Ethics and Mapping the Brain Washington Times
Sunday, November 9, 2008
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