The TAG service allows one to use technology in an appropriate fashion without the exposure to content that is antithetical to who we are as Torah Observant Jews. For parents it is particularly helpful in protecting our children from that which in five minutes can undo years of proper chinuch. We don’t allow young kids to play with fire. Equally we should not allow our teens to interface with the internet without the assistance of TAG.

We all want to be the best parents, spouses and people we can be, and we try to make decisions that help us be our best. Having a local resource like TAG makes it easier for us to keep control over the technology that we interface with daily. I encourage everyone to utilize TAG.

It is vital that every community has a TAG office for people to turn to. Keeping our homes and our children safe from the influence of the internet can only be done by having proper up to date filtering and safeguarding. The chinuch we are putting into our precious children can be torn away with just one click and the results can be devastating. 

The work provided by TAG is a valuable step towards prevention and management of a rampant challenge which we, our children and our society are facing constantly. Through increasing dialogue and education, when provided by individuals who are appropriately informed, and who are stable role models for the Orthodox community, we can bring about not only healthy change, but also a gradual return to the values, standards and quality of family life among those for whom Torah is the foundation and guide. Your participation in this is a responsible, sensible and sensitive choice.

As a long-time clinician in the Los Angeles Jewish community, it is critically apparent that parents, young people, and adults need guidance and direction on safely interacting with the internet. Because of the availability of inappropriate and difficult to manage content, adults, children, educators, and community leaders all need a more focused and professional response to this challenging resource now a part of our modern lives. TAG is an important addition to our community resources.

The internet has introduced to our vulnerable children highly problematic content on a frequent basis. TAG is taking a stand and not leaving us to our own “devices”. I fully encourage everyone to utilize their services.

Our children and teens face ever-increasing dangers when having unrestricted access to the internet—cyberbullying, cyberpredators, posting private information, exposure to pornography, falling for scams and downloading malware. As parents, we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on tuition devoted to teaching Torah and protecting our children from negative influences. Yet, the majority of our children continue to have unrestricted access to the internet. The Technology Awareness Group (TAG) offers expert advice and guidance for parents overwhelmed by the complexities of internet restriction and surveillance software. TAG’s support staff can help simplify choosing and installing internet protective software so that we as parents can again have peace of mind that our children are safe.  

Beyond the spiritual risks of unrestricted internet use, parents and educators need to be aware of the serious potential psychological consequences that have been scientifically correlated with problematic internet use. These include the erosion of many, if not most, of the long term personality traits associated with life success, higher incidence of risky behaviors in adolescence, including substance abuse, impulsivity, diminished academic performance, and increased maladjustment in relationships. Care in parental control of internet use is therefore invaluable in raising healthy children.

Being a pediatrician for over 30 years I am becoming more and more concerned about the “cyberchild.” The long term effects of digital media, electronic gaming and other cyber communication issues on a primitive brain may be irreversible. I recognize that banning the adolescent from smart phones and electronic devices is futile. TAG comes to the rescue for the overwhelmed parent and gives them different options on how to tackle this problem.