Ach, I’m old already, what do I use my smartphone to do? I use it for some Tehillim WhatsApp groups, FaceTime-ing my grandchildren, and a little banking. Filters are for those who are using their phones to look at things they shouldn’t, not for old people like me. Or so I thought.

I got a call from my daughter the other day, and she asked me a favor. She lives in Monsey, and her high school-aged daughter had to agree to a few technology rules before school started. The school required their students to sign a paper agreeing not to go on an unfiltered internet device. Her daughter came to her, uncomfortable, and said, “I can’t sign this paper because when Bubby comes, I always use her phone and it’s not filtered.” My daughter paused for my reaction.

I swallowed audibly and said, “Ok, I’ll go to TAG and put a filter on my phone.” My daughter was so appreciative, and my granddaughter was too. Then I started thinking that it would not just be for her, I would gain too. Why should I see any picture that would pop up without me asking or without my interest? There were things that I didn’t want to see that I couldn’t control. Doing this for my children and grandchildren was my first impulse, but I actually gained my own control in the end.