blogs/rabbi-joshua-hoffman

Don't Trust the Internet!

A recent Pew survey revealed just how little trust there is among the millions of people who use the internet daily.  A whopping 4% indicated that they do indeed “trust the internet a lot.” That's not a mistake. Four percent! And if I asked you the question, “Do you trust the internet?” directly, you would more than likely hold your own reservations. This seems obvious enough. The preponderance of advertisements masquerading as news, the awkward email requests from friends who claim to have lost their wallet in Nigeria, and the relentless and mind-numbing publication of privacy policies reveal just how suspicious this vital technological tool has become for us.

What makes this survey most confounding is the very simple observation made by the question that follows the current perception of trust. When the survey asks people's perception of the next decade of internet use, they surmise that in the next decade, “Some expect the very nature of trust will change.”   The very nature of trust will change? What an astounding notion! Trust is one of those values that seems built into the fabric of the universe. We need trust to engage in commerce, build and sustain societies, and form the most intimate of relationships between us.  Trust is going to change?! To what?

And then we pause for a moment. The very values which we hold absolutely true have been changing and evolving over time. That's what healthy communities do. They respond to the changes in the world and adapt in order to grow. Without a little trust adaptation, women wouldn't have a more equal role in our societies. Without a little trust adaptation, we wouldn't have the courage to discover new methods for combating and healing diseases, like cancer. Without a little trust adaptation, the respect for all of humanity, including the respect for Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Jews, and so many more people would never be possible.

One researcher at Microsoft from the report admits that a little mistrust is a good thing. While many millions of people continue to use internet technologies to simplify more and more of their daily lives (think thermostats and ovens communicating to automatically control the climate in the home in response to rising temperatures in the homes...yes that is possible!) we don't think that a computer and the way we use it will compel us (yet again) to undergo a little more trust adaptation.

For sure, we're living in a time when the internet's power to simplify our lives, connect us across the world, and inform us more completely than ever before amplifies mistrust and even abuse. Some may even exploit our mistrust of the internet for their own nefarious goals of power and control.  

Yet, Judaism is well practiced in the formation of trust in such precarious times. Remember Shimon Ben Zoma? He once taught: Who is the wise one? He who learns from all men, as it says, "I have acquired understanding from all my teachers" (Psalms 119:99). Who is the mighty one? He who conquers his impulse, as it says, "slowness to anger is better than a mighty person and the ruler of his spirit than the conqueror of a city." (Proverbs 16:32). Who is the rich one? He who is happy with his lot, as it says, "When you eat [from] the work of your hands, you will be happy, and it will be well with you" (Psalms 128:2). "You will be happy" in this world, and "it will be well with you" in the world to come. Who is honored? He who honors the created beings, as it says, "For those who honor Me, I will honor; and those who despise Me will be held in little esteem" (I Samuel 2:30).  

Turn the question on its head, and learn from the wisdom of the Jewish tradition. The values that don't change are the ones that focus on a self-aware, sensitive, and conscientious human being. With this in mind, let's add a fifth question. “Who is trusted?” If the survey is right, there's a lot to figure out before we can answer this one. It will certainly be a sacred journey.