The increase of technology usage in our everyday lives has implemented a screen that confuses the establishment of moral and ethical values in online environments. But, while our own codes may pass by the wayside as soon as we log onto the net, that doesn’t mean that we’re perfect in reality, either.

This past summer, Brian Mennecke, associate professor of logistics operations and management information systems, tapped into the capabilities of “Second Life,” an online social networking platform, to help educate his students.

Although “Second Life” is better known to most users as an avatar-based virtual world with unlimited social capabilities, the educational value that may be obtained is – for lack of a better term – priceless.

“‘Second Life’ really creates a rich environment for learning, depending on what you’re trying to teach in the class,” Mennecke said. “It’s really about the convenience. You can engage in communication and do activities from a distance and bring people together from different backgrounds that you wouldn’t be able to do in everyday life.”

One example of distance communication in Mennecke’s class came in the form of a guest speaker from San Francisco, an opportunity that may have not been feasible in reality.

While the benefits of using online applications are evident, there are also negative factors that come into play. From an educational perspective, users are able to set up accounts on what are known as “islands” and can limit who can access their own digital environments. But, once you, or rather, your avatar, wander off the island, all bets are off.

In this virtual world, much like the Internet itself, users may be exposed to adult content, harassment or “griefing.”

While signs and other visual warnings make taking a wrong turn in “Second Life” a bit more obvious than typing in the wrong Web address or clicking on the wrong link, griefing is a problem that really raises warning flags.

“Griefing is a social phenomenon that’s exacerbated by a greater degree of anonymity,” Mennecke said. “If you’re a somewhat experienced user you realize that you can just log off and log back on and it [punishments] will go away.”

Currently, the biggest social issues facing the Linden Lab application reside in the form of rape and murder.

Susan Cross, associate professor of psychology, said the involvement of the user on an individual basis plays a large role in the effects of online hazing.

“I would imagine that it [rape or murder] would be traumatic,” Cross said. “Certainly not as serious as reality, but it depends on how immersed the user is in the online situation.”

In an article, “Second thoughts about Second Life,” published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Michael Bugeja, director of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, acknowledged the effects of sexual assault and harassment.

“Granted, it would be difficult to convict an avatar on a rape charge when sexual-assault law is based on physical rather than emotional trauma. Conversely, sexual-harassment law is based on the latter,” according to the article.

When using a broad view to look at the pros and cons of online databases, it’s not out of the question to apply real-life ethics and morals to virtual reality environments. In everyday life, society is exposed to the elements of human nature, and in some cases, unethical treatment, and the same holds true for online environments.

“In any communication medium, people find positive ways to use it, but at the same time, can also be mischievous,” Mennecke said.

“I think it’s important to be careful when you use the Internet in general and to be fully aware of all the dangers with the web.”

Cross said she felt there is a direct correlation between the way we act in reality to the way we act in virtual reality.

“I think there’s a clear translation,” Cross said. “We’re still humans when we’re in cyberspace.”