Reply to two students' discussion. 150words for each. Separetly.

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StudentA

“Is there an ethical problem with this? Does ‘nudging’ impinge on individual autonomy to a greater degree than traditional policy instruments? Does it matter if it gets the job done?”

Having discussed the ethicality of and the argued impingement of autonomy caused by nudging in my prior posts, I would like to touch on whether any of it matters if these nudges are ultimately “getting the job done”.

Ultimately, like legislation and enforcement, “nudging” similarly aims to achieve compliance from society. Where results show that a nudge has led to more people taking the action intended by the nudge then prior to the nudge’s inception and thus increased compliance, the nudge has been successful. I don’t think that we need to get overly sensitive over these Government instigated nudges when they are in relation to matters that (relatively speaking) don’t have that large an impact on our lives – speeding, paying fines/taxes etc. At the end of the day, following traffic rules and speed limits, paying fines and paying taxes in a timely manner are things that we should be doing with or without a nudge. Getting upset at the Government for gently pushing us in the direction of compliance seems a bit touchy.

Student B

‘Nudging’ as a result of framing and perception is inevitable and inherent in all media regardless of the intent behind it. Comedy is intended to be perceived as humorous, books are intended to engage you with characters and ideas, even the design of a home is intended to be perceived as modern, or cosy, depending on the designer’s vision. These are all harmless, but they all influence the way you think to some extent. In other words, everything in life is framed and intended to be perceived in some way. The way we think is constantly being influenced and manipulated, whether we are aware of it or not.

Should we really be concerned about the government using specific behavioural predictions to help them to push people in a potentially more beneficial direction, influencing the way we think, if they cannot help it? Every tax form, notification, and government department provides an image of the government and its goals. ‘Nudging’ can be seen as a conscious extension of this inherent manipulation of the way we think and perceive things by the government. In this way, maybe this manipulation is more harmless than we think.

Cass Sunstein’s article on government ‘nudges’ (2017) provides some great examples of other nudges we accept and welcome in everyday life such as using a GPS, calorie labels, and allergen ingredient warnings. These are subtle but are meant to help us to act and think in a more beneficial way. If an outcome like what is intended by these examples is aimed for by the government, then it is definitely a positive initiative.

http://theconversation.com/do-people-like-governme…