Use of Technology: Scenario #10

(Ribbie, 2015)

Kevin has just purchased the latest video game, Too Fast '22. He and his friends enjoy playing video games on their gaming systems. His best friend Vince also likes to play video games, but does not have the money to buy all the latest games. Kevin decides to be a good friend and install a copy of Too Fast '22 on Vince's system. Does sharing games, music, or movies hurt anyone? 

Source: Ribble, M. (2015) Digital Citizenship in Schools (3rd Edition) International Society for Technology in Education ISBN 9781564843647

Upon looking at this scenario, I was quickly able to pinpoint the issue. By pirating the video game, Kevin is committing an illegal act. Piracy refers to the unauthorized duplication of copyrighted content that is then sold at substantially lower prices in the 'grey' market. The ease of access to technology has meant that over the years, piracy has become more rampant (Budget, 2016).If everyone were to do this, then video game companies would not make any profit and therefore would not have any money to produce new video games. It's a vicious cycle if you ask me. This same act can be applied to both music and movies. If no-one ever paid for music or movies, just like the video game companies, these industries would quickly fall apart. In order to prevent Kevin from committing an illegal act to help Vince out, he could invite Vince over to play the game more frequently. Vince will need some time to save up money for this game, so in the meantime, he can just play it at Kevin's house.