Moral values—are they learned or are they built into our genetic makeup? Are our brains hard-wired to draw a line between right and wrong? Different cultures might vary on specific issues—there are social activities you can do freely in Amsterdam that you would be arrested for doing in New York for example—but generally most current cultures make similar separations between right and wrong. In essence morals transcend culture, right? But why exactly do we feel the need to separate right and wrong—what is it that makes our moral clock tick? Is creating this separation a psychological need or a sociological need? Does society demand it, or is it built into our brains?
From early childhood we teach our children what is “right” and what is “wrong.” But we do not typically teach children that these are fluid terms. The lines are blurred, or as The Monkees would say, “Today, there is no black or white, [there are] only shades of gray.” As Wikipedia puts it, “Everything has both yin and yang aspects, which constantly interact, never existing in absolute stasis.” I think that to progress we need to teach ourselves to be more accepting of other people, more in balance, and less judging of right versus wrong.
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There are many interaction-based influencers of moral values. Family, friends, school, religion, television, movies, videogames, music, and the internet all play a part today. Movies and television often emphasize right and wrong as viewers attempt to identify who is the “good guy” and who is the “bad guy.” But a distinction cannot always be made—blurred lines are more realistic, and more human. Think about reality television and its focus on people—does it break this convention? Unconventional twists and moral dilemmas are the reasons that the acclaimed drama series Lost is so popular isn’t it? Lost breaks boundaries by creatively blending black and white into gray. Many videogames also rely strongly on social behavior and moral values. Web-based videogames are even increasingly being used as a virtual platform for education—social education—seen through avatars and virtual worlds. Time no doubt plays a factor in shaping our morals as well. Laws have changed. Murder. Marriage. Slavery. Society continues to evolve, right? Or does little change in the grand scheme? How might social media, social gaming, reality TV, and virtual technology shape our moral values and our social evolution?
