A few years ago, a group of concerned mothers passionately warned me about the potential dangers of WhatsApp for our young children. Now, before I continue, I want to clarify that this is not a critique of WhatsApp per say, but this example serves as a starting point to address broader concerns about technology and its impact on our lives.
At the time, I directed a day camp where seamless communication among counselors through WhatsApp seemed like a pragmatic solution. The convenience of coordinating activities and disseminating information overshadowed any reservations about the potential impact on our staff.
“Why not?” I pondered. Smartphones were already in the hands of our girls, and WhatsApp was widely adopted by counselors. It appeared to be a logical extension of our communication channels, and I was even frustrated that some counselors could not access WhatsApp.
That frustration was precisely my mistake.
It wasn’t until recently that I truly grasped the foresight of those concerned parents. My respect for them has grown immensely, not because I abandoned WhatsApp, but because they were intentional in addressing the issue head-on. They foresaw the risks of our kids being constantly connected, as WhatsApp status mimicked every other social media app.
The rolling out of WhatsApp Channels made me realize that what I initially considered an innocent app was, indeed, social media. In addition, the ease of accessing vast social circles through large groups on WhatsApp raised concerns about the nature of connections our children were making.
The reality struck home as I observed people becoming increasingly absent from the present moment, their attention fixated on virtual interactions rather than the world around them – something that many of us can admit to being guilty of as well.
This topic is not about one messaging app. The discussion about technology encompasses various platforms, social media sites, smartphones, and the internet at large. It’s about recognizing the need to foresee the direction in which our technology use is heading. Instead of delving into all the challenges, as the dangers are familiar to us, let’s focus on the crux of the matter: technology, with all its potential for both good and bad, exists, now what are we doing about it?
This isn’t a call to abandon WhatsApp or technology but an opportunity to reflect how we integrate it into the lives of our children. Let’s unite, share experiences, and collaboratively work towards ensuring a safer and healthier digital environment for our kids and families. Instead of wallowing in guilt, let’s be proactive, focusing on how we can connect with and protect our families. The time to act is now – let’s put our minds to it, explore options, and make a positive change.
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Crown Heights Schools, in partnership with NCFJE, will be hosting a first-of-its-kind event on Monday, January 8th, to educate parents on technology safety in the home and provide practical resources to support this vital matter.
Please join ProTECHtion on Monday, 27 Teves, January 8th, at Bais Rivkah, 470 Lefferts, Rosa Hall.
7:00 PM: Men’s Resource Fair
8:00 PM: Program
9:00 PM: Women’s Resource Fair
I still believe we could decide as a community to abandon smartphones.
When television came out, it was negated. Smartphones should also. The positive does not outweigh the negative. We don’t walk out of our houses with portable sinks. We can have a computer at home, and wait to use it when we get home. Our focus, attention and inner peace will return.
Our privacy and borders will be intact. We will be fully present in everything we think, say and do.
Too many people are not paying attention to the beauty around them. Instead they have their head and eyes down locked on their phone.
It is a big problem.
We don’t ban things that can be used for good.
Seems many diff types of people feel the bad outweighs the good. Just it would probably help if it came from the top down. Grassroots groups are also extremely important, but i think the Rabbonim missed an opportunity to say we should not use- to think ahead. But they could stand up now after seeing incredible damage done. TV, plus movies, plus internet? Plus distraction from being present with children, plus isolating all members of family to separate rooms, each in own world, plus yetzer hara to always check for incoming info, plus posting what used to be private… Yes,… Read more »
Some of the schools in Crown Heights only send important information through whatsapp which is a huge disservice to parents who don’t want to have whatsapp and miss out the information. I recently sent my kid to school on a vacation day because the school had changed the vacation dates but sent the notification through whatsapp and home notes (which didn’t make it home to me from my preschooler) and I wasn’t on the whatsapp group and didn’t get the message. There’s at least one school that only sends home messages via whatsapp. It’s not fair to the parents that… Read more »
I JUST had this discussion with someone in the administration of a certain department in my children’s school, asking if communications could be sent some way other than WhatsApp.
The response I got — instead of encoragement, or at least acceptance — was just excuses that showed that convenience trumps all else.
This, from a מוסד חינוך (!) where chinuch should be the priority (obviously), and they should be the first ones in society to discourage smartphone use (even by parents, since we are out kids’ role models — at every age).
A disgrace!
Those very schools made us parents sign that we don’t have internet at home 🙂
Does you use it or does it use you
The role of the school is to lead.
I’m pretty sure that replacing that important role with “raising awareness” with the parents is not going to do the trick.
With every parent you have another opinion and trust me they are all aware of this huge issue and wish the school would actually do their job and *lead*.
I was a counselor in an overnight boys camp where many of the staff did not have smartphones. They had feature phones. The camp set up a GroupMe system which worked very well
Honestly, I believe many people (Even Not jews) would love a dumb phone!
The problem is: A dumb phone with a proper keyboard (that’s compatible with cell carriers) DOES NOT EXIST!
I had a blackberry until a year ago when all major companies stopped carrying not 4g/5g phones…
a HUGE business Idea for whoever wants to do it would be to make a Blackberry style keyboard phone that’s compatible with the modern cellphone carriers with only talk and text.
Totally agree. I was using alcatel from metropcs with qwirty keyboard, till since they were 3G, they would not work for 4,5 G. And model went out of stock as well.
look into gabb phones they have the same apps that a flip phone would have but has a screen and proper keyboard
Look in to Quinn phone, or Ecco phone.
it’s not about this app or that app. we have to stop and talk instead of blindly jumping on every bandwagon!
ive been dreaming about such an event. Im not techie and i wanted someone to hold my hand through this and help me out
We don’t pay less tuition because staff are doing their personal things or checking social media on our kids time.
Be on phones …. Bus monitor , on phone , bus driver ( chalila) on phone, teachers wearing a phone purse , rebbe ear piece , therapist browsing instagram , soccer coach – scrolling
KosherOS.com blocks channels
there there is no way to complety block channles or a broswer on a andriod phone even with premuim services there is always and will be a loop hole
I use it.
Thekosheros. Com. Blocks channels
I’m so thankful for Whatsapp for bringing my entire family together, for connecting me with my shul, and the reservists missions group
My daughter was working in camp. She was the only one with a “dumb” phone. she often didn’t get important information because of it. Other girls were also constantly teasing her about it.
I’m grateful, that in school most of her friends have the same phone. It’s not just whatsapp. They know how to get other apps on their phones. Even with codes and blocks.
While I understand restricting apps can be helpful, I think we should explore how to handle technology in a balanced way. Basic filtering and making no device time a regular thing.