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| Gerrer Children (VIN) |
There are what seems to be an infinite number of ways in which technology can damage a person spirituality by impacting negatively on our religious values. Even to the point of violating Halacha. Social media and entertainment platforms are literally at our fingertips. That can easily distract from religious requirements like prayer. In some cases it has even caused the violation of Halacha - with teens from even the most observant of families texting on Shabbos. And there is the ever present explicit sexual content that can ruin one's marriage and reputation. There is also the danger of exposure to ideologies that contradict the Torah.
Beyond the Orthodox Jewish community, technology has changed the way we interact with each other. Which applies as much to Orthodox Jews as it does to the rest of society. Face to face interactions are integral to our way life. And yet technology has the potential of leading to a sense of isolation. Which can induce clinical depression - which has in some cases led to suicide! The damage technology can inflict on society is recognized universally by all manner of civilized humankind.
One might conclude that with the dangers so obvious and so ubiquitous that it should be made illegal or even banned in its entirety. Because whatever good one may derive from technology, the downside is so severe that the upside isn’t worth it.
That was the thinking of Charedi religious leaders over a decade ago - expressed at an Asifa (gathering) attended by tens of thousands of mostly Charedi Jews.
Obviously that is not what happened even in the Charedi world. It is used by virtually the entre civilized world. How can that be?
Well it’s kind of like nuclear energy which can destroy humanity or can be used to benefit it. What is true about nuclear energy is true about technology in spades. Life has been unalterably changed by this technology. But not only in negative ways. The list of things that mankind benefits from technology is so huge, it would take multiple thick volumes to describe them all. Benefits that seem to multiply exponentially with each passing day.
Those of us that use technology already know this. The idea of going back to a time where technology did not exist would be more ridiculous than going back to a time when indoor plumbing did not exist. It is becoming increasingly necessary to use technology just to live normal lives. Not to mention all of the time saving conveniences we have become accustomed to.
Which is why the Charedi world no longer talks about banning technology. They now advise using filters that will eliminate access to objectionable websites.
But how about those facets of technology that filters don't protect against? It does not for example solve online bullying. Or the mountains of wasted time consumed by its use.
Does that means we need more than just filters? Of course we do. The question is what?
VIN recently reported that Ger decided the best way to do that is to revert to a total ban. At least for children:
The Gerer chasidim issued a special pamphlet to the children in their chasidic group warning of the perils of technology…
The pamphlet includes a list of regulations for the children as well as pictorial explanations of how children should eschew technological devices. The children are advised that this is not just a good attribute but rather a halachic requirement, as the Yetzer Hara is trying in many ways to make us sin including via advanced technology.
Technology is described as akin to a “biting dog and venomous snake” and children are warned not to touch screens in shops and clinics and even the donation tablets in shuls.
Even the Delta devices which Gur uses to filter should not be used by children and even Waze should not be employed by them. The children are told that if a person sits next to them on a bus with such a device they should move to another place.
Another regulation prohibits bringing to the Cheider any work done on a computer, as well as any information received from a computer. The children are advised not to use cellphones out of their house or to own MP3 players of their own.
I wish I could say I’m surprised by this draconian approach. But Ger is not known for moderating its views. They have a very black and white - all or nothing approach to things that can hurt our spirituality. An example of which is their well known draconian rules regarding sexual intimacy with a spouse. That is the exact same approach they are taking to technology.
While they have a right to run things their own way, I can't believe it sits well with all their Chasidim. I have to wonder how many of them honor all these restrictions in the breach. I also have to wonder about the emotional health of children in families that adhere strictly to them.
I do not believe this is the Jewish way to handle issues that have both a good side and a bad. Especially when the good is so integral to the lives of the civilized world. The right approach is to interface with technology while preserving our values. Which is paramount in our digital age.
The idea of banning children from the use of technology to the extent Ger does is in my view counterproductive.
What instead needs to be done is to ensure that parents have full control over what their children access and be able to see everything their children access or text - and to whom.. There are programs that enable parents to have that kind of control. And to not allow their children any access until an age where they have a certain level of maturity. Regardless of what their friends do. Ger’s policies do little more than make a laughingstock out of them. Which in my view is anything but the Kiddush Hashem they seek in implementing these rules and treating them like Halacha.