Is the Internet Dangerous?

On May 20th, 2012, there is a rally being planned that will take place at CitiField in Queens, NY. It is being organized by a group of Haredi (Ultra Orthodox) Jews. The object of the rally is the dangers of the internet. Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald shares his opinion on the topic pointing out that the internet is not unique. There are many things in life the some consider dangerous. Judaism tries to teach each person how to be in control of their passions and lusts. As human beings we are subject to temptations. There are two ways to deal with this. One is to avoid it completely. Isolate yourself. Rabbi Buchwald believes that that is not a viable way of life. At some point you'll likely need to confront those influences in your life. When you have never come across these urges in life you cannot develop defenses against them. When exposed to it a little bit they have no way of resisting the temptation. The other option is education. Teaching people about these dangers and have them confront them on a regular basis. But nothing is foolprooof. People should put protections on our computers especially for children just like we should put protections on our own passions to protect ourselves. So whether or not you agree with the goal of this upcoming rally and the dangers of the internet, we need to at least be aware of it. We need to deal with it in an intelligent, meaningful and effective fashion.