Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that digital conscience is a mental skill that needs to be managed expertly, said, “Digital conscience is a part of our soul and mind that needs to be managed expertly, just like driving a car.”
Tarhan stated that the screen offers users a psychological “invisibility cloak,” which can disable one's conscience and lead people to make mistakes.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “When people think they are invisible, they start to see others not as human beings, but as objects. This particularly affects individuals between the ages of 15 and 22 more easily.”
The Turkish Language Association's selection of “digital conscience” as the “Word of the Year” for 2025 has brought the impact of digitalization on human moral reasoning back to the agenda. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector and Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan made important evaluations by drawing attention to the psychological and neuroscientific dimensions of digital conscience.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan emphasized that conscience is not an abstract concept, stating, “Conscience has a correlate in the brain. Moral reasoning processes are related to this. Digitalization affects these processes.”
Algorithmic Conscience…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, stating that the concept of “digital conscience” can also be read as “algorithmic conscience,” said, “Algorithms tend to determine what we will be sad about, what we will like, and where we will be fair or unfair. This unknowingly creates digital conscience traps.”
When Speed Takes Precedence Over Deep Thought, Conscience Makes Mistakes!
Stating that a balance between deep thought and fast thought must be established for conscience to function healthily, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “Conscience requires deep thought, contemplation, and time. When speed takes precedence over depth, mistakes begin; when depth is completely disabled, conscience is not used.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also stated that digital conscience is a mental skill that needs to be managed expertly, saying, “Digital conscience is a part of our soul and mind that needs to be managed expertly, just like driving a car.”
Conscience is an Innate Potential, Education Determines its Direction
Stating that conscience is innate as a core potential but its direction is shaped by the environment, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “Conscience exists as a genetic blueprint. Its development in a benevolent or malevolent direction occurs through education and social learning. Other living beings do not have the concept of conscience.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that the brain's structure called the importance and priority network is directly related to conscience, adding, “The priority ranking of conscience is shaped by what a person invests love, time, and energy in their imagination. The foundations of this network are laid in the family; after the age of 15, the individual is responsible for managing their own conscience. After the age of 15, when making decisions such as good, bad, right, wrong, beautiful, ugly, useful, useless, fair, unfair, merciful, or unmerciful, the person is responsible for the actions they take with their own free will. The management of conscience now rests with that person.”
Silence Can Become a Digital Crime
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, emphasizing that remaining silent in the digital environment also creates an area of responsibility, drew attention to the concept of “active laziness.” Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “If a person quickly approves or rejects a matter that needs research without deep thought, this is active laziness. The speed trap of digitalization leads to conscientious errors. In the age of digitalization, people don't ask themselves if this issue will bother them or not. They make a wrong decision and then regret it. They easily fall into digital traps. They do many things they will later regret. They fall into the paradox of visibility. They say 'being visible is good.' In fact, this is a paradox.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that this situation leads individuals to the desire for visibility, adding, “Algorithms show us that being visible is good, but this can weaken conscience.”
Algorithm Transparency is an Ethical Imperative
Prof. Dr. Tarhan emphasized that explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) applications in artificial intelligence and digital platforms have become an ethical necessity, stating, “Without transparent algorithms, people are trapped in echo chambers. Individuals only engage with views presented to them.”
We Are Also Responsible Behind the Screen
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that the screen offers users a psychological “invisibility cloak,” which can disable one's conscience.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “The digital world makes people make mistakes with an invisibility cloak. When people think they are invisible, they start to see others not as human beings, but as objects. This particularly affects individuals between the ages of 15 and 22 more easily.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that leadership in digital tools should be with the user, saying, “If you are the leader of artificial intelligence, you manage it. If you become its object, you surrender your conscience to it.”
Digital Lynching Harms Global Conscience
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that one of the most dangerous areas of digital conscience is digital lynching, saying, “Keyboard warriors, with organized troll groups, can systematically destroy people's reputations.”
Reminding that every action leaves a trace in the digital world, Prof. Dr. Tarhan warned, “A post you make might resurface 5-10 years later. Although the right to be forgotten is debated, digital traces are not easily erased.”
Conscience Emerges When Mind and Heart Work Together
Prof. Dr. Tarhan concluded his remarks by explaining the fundamental principle for a healthy conscience in the digital world: “Stop, think, then use the digital world. Conscience emerges when mind and heart work together. Neither emotion alone nor reason alone is sufficient.”