Does using the internet cause tragedies?

 

Question:

I have internet at home and my friends also do have social media. Some have the TAG filter on their devices and some not. (We don’t need it for business). I’ve read that corona and other tragedies occur due to the internet. Does that mean that because of me or my friends all tragedies happen?

 

Answer:

I’m not sure where you heard that. None of us can say with certainty that we know why tragedies happen. It’s true that Torah tells us that when tragedies happen we need to examine our behaviors and see which things require rectification. However, that does not mean that human beings can fathom the ways of Hashem and say that they absolutely know which particular behavior caused this particular tragedy. Even great tzadikim who are sometimes privy to the inner workings of Hashem in this world have many times stated about themselves that they cannot understand the ways of Hashem. Certainly, it is not our job to explain why certain things occurred.

As for your specific question about unfiltered internet: it is absolutely true that this is forbidden according to the Torah. The psak against unfiltered internet has been expressed by almost all Rabbonim from all circles (Chassidic, non-Chassidic, the so-called Modern Orthodox movement, etc.).

Whether such behavior is actually killing people I cannot claim to know, but I do know that it wreaks havoc on a person, his family and immediate surroundings. I guess you can say that it can cause spiritual death which is much worse, in many ways, than physical death. The tragedies caused by unfiltered internet, whether on a personal level, or the harmful effects on a marriage or a relationship, or on one’s connection to Hashem, are very real and are serious, and shouldn’t be underestimated. Thus, the correct thing to do is to immediately obtain proper filtering on your devices and protect yourself and your family. One thing is for sure this will bring great Bracha to yourself and to your loved ones. Just for this reason alone, it’s worthwhile to do so without delay.

Wishing you tremendous success in this resolution.

 

 

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