Mirror-White Christmas Ethics

In the television episode Black Mirror-White Christmas, technology is implemented in at least two creative and sinister ways. First, the creator of White Christmas gives people in this society the ability to block out anyone they choose. By pressing a button given to all members in this society, an individual can choose to shut out another at any time. Blocking makes the target individual see the blocker only as a silhouette, and hear the words of the blocker only in a garbled way. By blocking someone, it effectively closes out the target from any means of communicating with the blocker. The target has no recourse against being blocked; he is trapped in this situation until the blocker unblocks him. Two individuals in this episode are both blocked as a form of punishment. First, Mathew has an unethical hobby whereby he claims to be providing dating advice to those requesting help. However, in the process, he is able to illegally and unethically spy on the activities of his clients, including those activities of the most intimate in nature. When his wife finds out about Mathew’s perverted hobby, she blocks her husband, disapproving her peeping tom husband. Thus, he is punished by use of the blocking technology from ever again seeing or speaking with his …show more content…
Blocking shuts out the blocked person emotionally, physically, and mentally which is an extreme punishment for humans who are social beings. The use of the cookie technology for punishment is also extreme. It enables the party controlling the technology to have complete control over the “simulated you.” While the simulated you, in only computer code, it has been given feelings which are humanoid. Thus, having utter control over its existence is unethical. Although the technology in this program is also used for positive purposes, the use of it as punishment raises serious ethical