Bensolomon

Here’s a question for all of you “what’s wrong with using a filtered smart phone?” and “it’s here to stay” people: Totally aside from anything a filter would block out; How much time do you spend on your smartphone? I’m sure all you commentators are self-disciplined and conscientious about your usage. I’m sure you never sit in a family or other social gathering on your phone. I’m sure you would never engage content that spews loshon horo, motzei shem ra, leitzanos, non-Yiddishe hashkafos, apikorsos and on and on. I’m sure the amount and the quality of time you spend with your spouses and children isn’t at all affected by the portal to never ending entertainment, shopping, work, news and educational (gfaw – like that’s what any significant number of people mostly use it for) content in your pocket. I’m sure non of your teenage kids would never get sucked into an online (filtered!) life (Also FYI, kids can get past filters – the age old rule is they’re smarter than you when it comes to tech). But although you personally do not suffer from any of these potentially (and in many many cases – actually) very damaging issues, can you be soivel the idea that there may be weaker (or just more normal) people than yourselves out there, for whom their ruchniyus would be wholly improved sans smartphone – even a filtered one? If not, then sorry to bother you. However there are plenty of people who can. They might just have a point. I gave up mine in the early days of smartphones when I realised it was sucking up my time in a way and to a degree that just didn’t happen prior to its invention. I’m not talking about anything that would be screened out by a filter!

And regarding the “it’s here to stay” argument: So are many bad things in society. You don’t call someone who doesn’t smoke “Amish”. You wouldn’t call someone who doesn’t go to the movies or watch TV “Amish”. Unless you would. In which case again, sorry to bother you. Just because something is “progress” doesn’t make it good. You can progress towards a cliff edge and then progress right off it.