Research Paper On Sleep Dealer Vs The Ethics Of Technology

Sleep Dealer vs. the Ethics of Technology

In society today, there is an abundance of debates on the ethics of certain technological advancements. The use of AI software, deep fakes, and robots replacing jobs are just some of the examples of new tech that has made its way into modern life. However, along with these kinds of advancements, there has been heightened debate on the ethics of technology. The film Sleep Dealer effectively tackles the topic of morals with futuristic technology, with some characters crossing the line between unethical and ethical technological usage.

The main character of Sleep Dealer, Memo, semi-ethically uses futuristic technology to work on a construction site. The technology he uses allows him to weld beams of a

However, Rudy is a military pilot and uses technology to fight terrorists on-ground– without actually being inside of his drone. In this case, the same benefits as Memo’s job are present, such as the ability to carry out a job that is normally extremely dangerous and life-threatening. However, in contrast with Memo’s factory job which has its own dangers, Rudy does not face any threats of being overworked in his military job, and moving his job to be completely virtual does not pose any dangers to his physical health. However, his mental health has been drained by this job. In the film, Rudy is commanded to kill Memo’s father because he is determined to be a terrorist. Being forced to end someone else’s life has negative effects on Rudy’s mental state. Although this impact on Rudy is not caused by the futuristic technology that allows him to do his job from a safe area on the ground, this is just one of the negative effects of working in the military. A modern-day soldier would most likely experience similar distraught that Rudy experienced. Those in the military today face mental health problems described as “the psychological effects of military training alter the personality, emotional stability, and social function of the individual. These alterations can cause anxiety, insomnia, and other mental health conditions” (Banyan Treatment Center). In the film, Rudy is depicted to

There is a popular TV show that is aired live and shows real military battles. Rudy’s work as a military pilot is shown live on television, and Memo, along with anyone else watching the show, witnessed Rudy kill Memo’s father live on TV; this causes emotional trauma for Memo. Turning war and real-life death into popular consumable media and entertainment is highly unethical, and is a dystopian aspect of the world in Sleep Dealer that hopefully never makes its way into the real world. Viewing such a program would be traumatizing even for people who are not in a situation like Memo’s, where he sees his father get killed live. Seeing the real death of anyone– whether or not the viewer is related to them– would cause negative impacts on one’s mental health. However, some might say that this technology should not be considered futuristic, because creating live entertainment out of war is possible in today's society. A modern-day soldier could easily attach a GoPro or another camera to their helmet, and live-stream war on a popular streaming service, such as Twitch or YouTube. While this is possible to do today, this would go against the community guidelines and terms of service of any popular streaming platform. The difference between this and the television show in Sleep Dealer is that the TV show is completely allowed to be aired, and it is popular and watched