Why You, a High School Student, Should Care About Ethics
When I was a high school freshman, the biggest ethical breach of my life to date was forging a note from my parents to sneak off campus with my first boyfriend. We took the horrible city bus, hung out at his house, and came back well before the last bell had rung. No harm, no foul, right? Nope, while this may not have been the biggest ethical scandal to hit Orange County, CA, it definitely was a crisis to my very protective parents. Following their spidey sense, they followed up with the attendance office, then grounded me for the rest of my life. Well, for the whole summer, which definitely felt like the rest of my life at age 15. More than anything, this felt like an injustice. I hadn’t hurt anyone, messed up my pristine academic records, and no harm had been done, at all! Outrage!
Here, however, is where ethics comes in. Ethical frameworks help you make the right decisions, even if your knowledge, awareness, biases or lack thereof gives you blind spots.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Ethics? Isn’t that what middle-aged people argue about on NPR?” And sure, you might not be debating corporate greed at cocktail parties yet, but ethics isn’t just for the cardigan-wearing crowd. It’s for you, the high school student who’s trying to figure out life, one awkward group project and disappointing cafeteria pizza at a time.
What’s Ethics Got to Do with Me?
Picture this: It’s the middle of chemistry class, and the teacher steps out for “just a minute.” Your friend starts whispering, “Hey, let’s check the test answers on her desk.” At this moment, ethics suddenly has everything to do with you. Do you take a peek? Do you rat them out? Do you pretend you don’t hear and start doodling in your notebook like you’re suddenly the next Picasso?
Ethics is like a moral GPS. It’s that little voice (sometimes your mom’s voice, if we’re being honest) saying, “Do the right thing, even if no one’s watching.” Except, people are always watching—and yes, that includes yourself. When you violate your own sense of ethics with your own actions, you damage your sense of integrity.
The Long-Term Game of Ethics
Sure, stealing test answers might get you an A today, but what about tomorrow? What happens when you’re faced with bigger decisions—like standing up to a boss who’s acting shady or deciding whether to build an AI that tells people the truth or just sells them more stuff they don’t need? Ethics is what separates the kind of person people admire from the kind they just tolerate at office parties, or worse.
And here’s the kicker: ethical people aren’t born; they’re made. Nobody comes out of the womb saying, “I think utilitarianism is the superior moral philosophy.” No, you learn ethics by practicing—like piano scales, except instead of impressing your relatives at Christmas, you’re earning their trust for life.
Why Ethics Makes You Cool
You know what’s cooler than having 10,000 TikTok followers? Being the person everyone knows they can count on. The one who doesn’t ghost group chats, who credits their sources in essays, who doesn’t laugh when someone trips in the hallway (even if it’s kind of funny).
When you’re ethical, people want you on their team, whether it’s for dodgeball, a science fair, or, eventually, a job. And when you’re not? Well, let’s just say people have long memories, especially when you’re the one who “accidentally” erased the group project slides the night before they were due.
Start Small: Ethical Training Wheels
I’m not saying you need to solve world hunger by lunch tomorrow. Start small. Don’t leave your trash on the cafeteria table. Help a friend study instead of sharing your homework answers. Say “thanks” to the janitor who cleans up after you. These little things might not seem like much, but trust me—they’re the push-ups of ethics. Do enough of them, and one day, you’ll be bench-pressing moral dilemmas like a pro.
In the end…
Ethics isn’t about being perfect. It’s about trying, failing, and trying again. It’s about making choices that align with the kind of person you want to be—not the kind of person who “games the system” and “gets away with things.”
So, do ethics matter? Yes. Not because your parents say so, not because your teacher gave you an assignment about it, but because you’re going to have to live with yourself—and the consequences of your choices—for the rest of your life.
Because wherever you go, there you are.