The Internet usage habits of ultra-Orthodox society are revealed: In order to create a significant knowledge infrastructure about Haredi society in Israel, the Israeli Internet Association and the Haredi Institute for Policy Studies conducted a survey among a representative sample of the Haredi population on its various groups.
The comprehensive survey was conducted during 2021 and its findings and analyses are now being published for the first time.
About 80% of the Haredi community use the Internet, yet 50% of them do not have a home Internet connection. Lithuanians use the Internet to a greater extent than Hasidic and Sephardim, while Sephardim use the Internet via mobile phone more than others. Haredi women use the Internet via mobile phone more than men.
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And what are the main concerns that the Haredim raise about using the Internet? At the top of the list is the fear of addiction, a waste of time, and harm to children's education. At the bottom of the list: harm to the chances of matchmaking and acceptance into educational institutions, and the fear of inappropriate content.
Characteristics of Internet Use - Notable Findings
Approximately 80% of the respondents indicated that they use the Internet in their daily lives. The survey shows that most of the use is done, as mentioned, via a computer or tablet at home 40.4%, followed by a computer at work 35.5%, a mobile phone 14.7%, and the rest via paid Internet stations, tablet terminals in synagogues, and government service stations.
The survey found significant gender differences in Internet use on various devices: Haredi women use the Internet via a computer at home or at work and via a mobile phone more than Haredi men, and Haredi men use the Internet via paid Internet kiosks and tablet terminals in synagogues more than Haredi women.
No gender differences were found in Internet use through government service points.
In addition, significant differences were found between the various Haredi communities in the characteristics of Internet use: Lithuanians are connected and use the Internet to a relatively high extent compared to Sephardim and Hasidim. Approximately 841% of Lithuanians use the Internet compared to 741% of Sephardim.
Sephardim use the Internet more via mobile phone (about 20% compared to about 13% among Lithuanians and about 11% among Hasidim). Lithuanians use the Internet more via computer or tablet at home (about 53% compared to about 36% among Sephardim and about 29% among Hasidim).
Use of filtering software ("Kosher Internet")
The vast majority of respondents with a filtered Internet connection reported that they are not interested in opening services that are currently blocked to them by the existing filtering program.
Over 80% of the respondents responded that they were afraid of becoming addicted to the Internet and were afraid of wasting time. 76% of the respondents raised concerns about harming their children's education and 62% were afraid of harming their lifestyle. Only 34% expressed concern that using the Internet would harm their chances of finding a match and being accepted into educational institutions.
Dr. Assaf Wiener - Head of Policy and Regulation, Israeli Internet Association: "Our research findings clearly show that in recent years, ultra-Orthodox society has been narrowing its digital gap with general society in Israel through adjustments to its unique life span and needs, and is expanding the use of digital and Internet services in many areas.".
""The Internet is also relevant and beneficial for Haredi citizens, to the extent that it is possible to provide a technological or social response to the concerns and barriers associated with their religious beliefs and principles. Moreover, our findings reveal that Haredi society cannot be treated as a single entity, even with regard to the characteristics of Internet use and the barriers to it. For example, Lithuanian society uses the Internet to a relatively large extent, compared to a more limited extent in the Sephardic stream and especially low among the Hasidic stream. Familiarity with the complexity and uniqueness of Haredi Internet usage habits will help make this important resource properly accessible to these citizens as well.".
Yehudit Miletsky, senior researcher at the Haredi Institute for Policy Studies: "The study presents, for the first time, well-founded and comprehensive data examining the manner and nature of Internet use in Haredi society. The findings of the study show that the Haredi public is present in virtual spaces but does so mainly for practical needs, such as work and consumption of various Internet services.
""The virtual presence in leisure and cultural spaces such as news consumption and social networks is significantly lower and emphasizes the use of the Internet by Haredi society solely out of necessity, and not as a value in itself. The study also raises an interesting gap between a solid and strong consensus of the forefront of Haredi society that uniformly perceives the Internet negatively as an addictive space, dangerous for editing, and a threat primarily to children's education, but in practice differences were found between different communities in the actual use of Internet services.
""This gap may indicate the way ultra-Orthodox society conducts itself, which outwardly maintains a unified and conservative front toward threats to its values, but in practice finds different solutions and ways to cope in an informed manner tailored to each community. This gap indicates a way of coping that may also exist in other arenas, such as employment and education, and it is interesting to continue studying it.".
