I do own a smart phone. I do use the internet. I mostly do not play computer games . I am not opposed to computer games in principle, I just don't much see the point. I work as a computer programmer, you see; I have more than enough frustration getting a computer to do what I want when it is not trying to oppose me. (Though there is one game on my phone that I allow to occupy more of my time than I should.)
That being said, I do believe that technology can be a vehicle to much ביטול תורה/murdering of time and a portal to quite serious Torah violations. Note I said "a vehicle to" and not that technology is in and of itself evil. Nothing in this world, in fact, is in and of itself evil; everything can be used for both good and evil. None the less, some things are so powerfully attractive to our יצר הרע and have so little to offer on the positive side that they must be avoided and almost any cost. I would put heroin and crystal meth in that category. Others have enough good going for them that it is worth investing in appropriate controls to utilize them. I would put bourbon and technology in that category.
I don't need to extol the virtues of technology nor to decry its obviously crude and seedy side. Both are well known and any discussion that starts there ends in a brouhaha of obvious and (frankly) childish epithets being thrown from all sides. I do, however, feel there are two dimensions that don't get the attention they deserve; one regarding technology in general, the other focused on portable mobile devices (smart phones, tablets, and the like) enhanced with a ubiquitous wireless internet.
First the global issue: technology has given us an unprecedented amount of free time. That is, much less time needs to be dedicated to simply providing food, shelter, and clothing. 300 years ago, almost everyone spent almost all of their time doing nothing by providing for basic needs of life for them and their families. Nowadays, though, nearly everyone spends a mere 40 to 60 hours a week on those things. That leaves 12 to 16 hours each weekday, an entire weekend, and three or four weeks a year of time when we are free to do whatever we want. That should be great; should be great. After all, we have a whole Torah of things to do; gemara, halacha, chesed, mitzvos. In fact, there are six constant mitzvos that can be exercised without interruption. The problem, of course, is that human beings are by nature/design extraordinarily lazy.
Which brings me to the personal/mobile/portable/cloud-connected technology of today. There is a quite excellent nerdy, online comic that I like: xkcd.com. He has a nice one titled, Isolation. In it, a crier/complainer decries, through the last two centuries, the growing isolationism engendered by personal information/entertainment entities: books, newspapers, magazines, TV, walkman, smart phone. (I think he should have included radio together with TV and moved the date to 1940 instead of 1960, but it's his venue.) His punchline is the crier/complainer being rebuffed with, "Dude. It's been two centuries. Take a hint."
Cute. And missed the real point. Namely, yes... it's been two centuries (more like two millennia); Dude. Erosion takes time. This has been an issue throughout history and our sages have warned about it through the ages. The latest technology, however, taken the last two millennia of erosion to a new level; not just quantitatively, but qualitatively. There are three dimensions to that:
We've gone from the slow erosion of a stream of water to the destructive force of a water jet cutter that can cut through stone like butter. Worst of all, though, we've taken away the greatest barrier to sin: the fear of others seeing us.
Dude! Indeed, take a hint!
That being said, I do believe that technology can be a vehicle to much ביטול תורה/murdering of time and a portal to quite serious Torah violations. Note I said "a vehicle to" and not that technology is in and of itself evil. Nothing in this world, in fact, is in and of itself evil; everything can be used for both good and evil. None the less, some things are so powerfully attractive to our יצר הרע and have so little to offer on the positive side that they must be avoided and almost any cost. I would put heroin and crystal meth in that category. Others have enough good going for them that it is worth investing in appropriate controls to utilize them. I would put bourbon and technology in that category.
I don't need to extol the virtues of technology nor to decry its obviously crude and seedy side. Both are well known and any discussion that starts there ends in a brouhaha of obvious and (frankly) childish epithets being thrown from all sides. I do, however, feel there are two dimensions that don't get the attention they deserve; one regarding technology in general, the other focused on portable mobile devices (smart phones, tablets, and the like) enhanced with a ubiquitous wireless internet.
First the global issue: technology has given us an unprecedented amount of free time. That is, much less time needs to be dedicated to simply providing food, shelter, and clothing. 300 years ago, almost everyone spent almost all of their time doing nothing by providing for basic needs of life for them and their families. Nowadays, though, nearly everyone spends a mere 40 to 60 hours a week on those things. That leaves 12 to 16 hours each weekday, an entire weekend, and three or four weeks a year of time when we are free to do whatever we want. That should be great; should be great. After all, we have a whole Torah of things to do; gemara, halacha, chesed, mitzvos. In fact, there are six constant mitzvos that can be exercised without interruption. The problem, of course, is that human beings are by nature/design extraordinarily lazy.
Which brings me to the personal/mobile/portable/cloud-connected technology of today. There is a quite excellent nerdy, online comic that I like: xkcd.com. He has a nice one titled, Isolation. In it, a crier/complainer decries, through the last two centuries, the growing isolationism engendered by personal information/entertainment entities: books, newspapers, magazines, TV, walkman, smart phone. (I think he should have included radio together with TV and moved the date to 1940 instead of 1960, but it's his venue.) His punchline is the crier/complainer being rebuffed with, "Dude. It's been two centuries. Take a hint."
Cute. And missed the real point. Namely, yes... it's been two centuries (more like two millennia); Dude. Erosion takes time. This has been an issue throughout history and our sages have warned about it through the ages. The latest technology, however, taken the last two millennia of erosion to a new level; not just quantitatively, but qualitatively. There are three dimensions to that:
- Personalization. I can now choose whatever experience I want whenever I want. I don't have to wait for 8:00PM (7:00PM Central) on Tuesdays to get my favorite comedy show. I want it now, I get it now. I want something else later, I get something else later.
- Rate of change: I don't have to walk to the library, nor bookshelf, nor even need to pick up the remote. I can instantly change to something completely different. All with no interruptions.
- Passivity. Of course listening and watching takes no effort. But even if I get bored of that and choose something interactive, it is mindlessly interactive. It is building and destroying virtual objects with no real consequences. Pure entertainment.
We've gone from the slow erosion of a stream of water to the destructive force of a water jet cutter that can cut through stone like butter. Worst of all, though, we've taken away the greatest barrier to sin: the fear of others seeing us.
Dude! Indeed, take a hint!
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