Remaining a nice frum girl while working on the internet...

amother

Mon, Feb 24 2014, 11:54 am

Hi! Any advice on how to not get affected by the internet, when my means of parnassa forces me to be on the net for hours each day? (Ex: on Facebook, Twitter, looking up pictures on Google, etc...)

amother

Mon, Feb 24 2014, 12:06 pm

1) Be aware that this site has many types of frum people - and we're all using the Internet!

2) IMHO it will affect you no matter what.

3) If it's really just for work, block everything else. And don't do anything apart from work.

DrMom

Tue, Feb 25 2014, 3:07 am

What you see on FB depends on whom you "friend" and to which groups you elect to belong. If you follow decent groups I don't see what the issue is. Our shul has a FB page. Are we all being corrupted by using it to see who gets a mazal tov or when the hashkama minyan starts?

Perhaps you can install a filter and limit your viewing to pages relevant for work so you won't be tempted to surf a lot.

Growing

Tue, Feb 25 2014, 7:42 am

I dare to say its similar to 'remaining a nice frum girl' IRL except that on the internet you have milliseconds to curb temptations etc.

Its all about discipline. priorities. and values.

There are decisions to be made prior to your sitting down to the computer.

What is my purpose?
What are my limits?
How do I want to filter inappropriate stuff?
What do I consider inappropriate? [very similar to what you would consider inappropriate IRL]
How will I ensure I stay on task?
What do I consider a breech and if it happens what will I do about it?
[Because these things are best dealt with when 'nipped in the bud']
How often will I sit back and think about my internet behavior to reflect if what I'm doing is in sync with who I am or who I want to become.

Hatzlocha.

bubbebia

Tue, Feb 25 2014, 10:22 am

A number of years ago a local rabbi was asked if he goes to a movie what does he do when there are inappropriate scenes. His reply--"that's why G-d made eyelids". This concept, IMHO, applies to just about everything in life. When we walk down the street and we see someone who is inappropriately dressed, we "close our eyes". When we hear loshon hara we "close our ears". We make conscious decisions to "see and hear" what we want to. Why can't this apply to our internet use as well? We need to be conscious of the choices we make and we will then make good choices (or at least better ones). And we need to trust ourselves that we will make good choices. I think, sometimes, that we are automatically told that if we do X then we are too weak to be able to withstand Y so we just shouldn't do anything at all. IMHO, growing and becoming better means learning to consciously decide that we will not get involved in things that are bad for us but rather turn away and do what's right. This, I think, is the test that HKB"H sets before us every day so that we will grow and change for the better in a world that doesn't think the way we do. In this way will we truly become a light for the world.