It was with great interest that I recently read about conservative lawmakers in Utah passing a bill that would require the automatic filtering of phones and tablets sold in the state to block unsavory content found all over the Internet. Supporters of the bill have pointed out that blocking the dirt available on the interwebs is crucial now, especially considering how many young children have access to their own devices that can access it.
I would argue that this should become a national law. Ask a mental health therapist, literally any, how negative the effects of the salacious and unsavory content all over the internet have been to members of our society, young and old alike. I am not even referring necessarily to the obligation we have as frum Jews to protect ourselves from much of the content found online; I am talking about the way that content is literally twisting people’s brains into pretzels and tearing American society apart at the seams.
There are studies upon studies showing that the content available to people on the Internet leads to unhealthy relationships, broken families, addictions, and higher levels of anxiety, depression, and even manic episodes. In short, it’s a problem. A very big problem.
The so-called freedoms that we are allowed in western culture can, on their face, seem to be a positive thing. Who doesn’t like freedom, right? But when those freedoms go over the line and allow us to access things that are extremely dangerous, it only leads to the breakdown of society, rather than the empowering of it.
If we want to save ourselves and our children’s futures, the time to act is now. Filter it all, block it all. Get an automatic filter installed on every internet-enabled device now, not later.
Ok. It’s funny how most on this site rail on liberals because the woke side is taking away freedoms.
Then you get this view which is , I can’t control myself on the internet so no one should be allowed to look at what they want.
Avi this is a great point and I thought to myself years ago that the govt would get involved. I am glad they did in one way. But the other side of teh coin is who is to day what is right and wrong and what needs to be filtered. Will our rights to maintain and express our opinion regarding toeva marriages and other issues in that realm remain out of teh crosshairs. Once you start legislating content where will it stop? I think the lascivious nature of what is available on line is destroying the country and the world. But once we start governing the information highway how do we avoid being labeled as unnacceptable. Sure now it’s the mormons on our side. Tomorrow the libs will ban religion because it is divisive.
If the pandemic taught you anything it’s that give up one freedom give up 10. Rather let there be free choice not communism
You are 100% right! I will put a filter on my phone right now! Thank you!
Amazing Opinion !
Gedolim have issued a similar opinion for years.
It doesn’t seem like you can’t get it. Maybe it would be a filter that you can turn off but you would basically need to “opt in” for the garbage
Looks like the cancel culture is alive and well in Republican Utah.
Whats next?