From the Anash.org Inbox: I was recently sitting in Kingston Pizza, enjoying a slice with my family. Across the room, two boys, young and impressionable, were huddled over a small screen: an innocent-looking “Timkoo” MP4 player.
By a Crown Heights Mother
Are you familiar with the Timmkoo mp4 player? Did you know of the danger it poses to your children?
Yes, that small device in the boy’s hand is a danger.
Did you know there’s an open Chrome browser on your son’s handheld device? Did you know there’s a “filter” that, in reality, most boys easily bypass? You might think this is a small matter, but bringing a Timmkoo or similar devices into your home could have consequences far beyond what you imagine.
Just recently, I was sitting in Kingston Pizza, enjoying a slice with my family. Across the room, two boys, young and impressionable, were huddled over a small screen: an innocent-looking Timkoo MP4 player. They weren’t checking the weather or looking up homework help. No, they were surfing the open internet, one that includes YouTube, Google, and all kinds of influences that can pull a young heart away. These boys were in fifth to eighth grades, when life values and focus are critical.
There’s a frighteningly open world on these devices, far more than parents may realize. And this isn’t even about boys sneaking phones into yeshivos or girls becoming glued to screens. I’m just talking about one simple MP4 player—one “small” device—that can quickly become a portal to much more.
Hashem, help us!
Parents, take this to heart. Check your children’s devices. Make sure they’re truly filtered (though, in most cases, the “filter” won’t hold). Better yet, consider replacing these MP4 players with simple MP3 players—no Wi-Fi, no videos, just music. Check the music regularly, too. Be there for your children, guiding them in a world that often tries to pull them in the wrong direction. You wouldn’t let your children wander off alone; don’t do it online either.
Many parents simply aren’t aware of the extent of what these devices allow. But now, please, be alert!
May we all be given the strength to make wise choices for our children’s future. May the Rebbe’s brachos guide us and bring us to a better world with Moshiach now!
To add to this very important conversation, filtered phones Or using Alexa, home devices with Spotify etc. is in many ways like using unfiltered device as it’s quite difficult to monitor, what is being used (Spotify has music videos of which many are inappropriate).
A suggestion would be to use “24SIX” a Yiddish/company that has subscription service to Jewish music exclusively, and they continue to grow and and in features all with oversight from Rabbonim. They have phone/Alexa/home/car integration, as well as 24six exclusive mp3s.
Hatzlacha
1st of I was there and it was a smartphone we were watching a video of Bochrim on mivyzohim and it’s filtered !!! So how can you be so judgmental this is a lesson how we can’t judge ppl 2nd of all it’s some bochrim have the old type of timkoo that doesn’t have internet so I don’t understand how you can lie to the Jewish nation about this !! AND ACCUSE INNOCENT BOCHRIM!!! But yes you are right about the possibility of getting pats filter to ALL DEVICES and I hope you can enjoy your next visit at Kingston pizza without being choshed ppl falsley !!!
First of all, she can be speaking about another story.
Second, even if your sons timkoo doesn’t have a browser, I know, as a bochur that is in Yeshiva now, that timkoos give way more access to videos more than even a regular mp4!!!! Bochurim are sharing mostly good, but sometimes also the worst, videos and movies. Since timkoo has their own sharing app, that’s way better and faster than Bluetooth.
Third, even if you took off your browser, another bochur with his timkoo can send you the browser app, again, over the sharing app that timkoo has themselves.
As a bochur in Yeshiva now, I think that a timkoo is worse that a smart phone, since it seems kosher, and really is not.
I recommend all parents as the mother writes in article, to get your son another kind of device, best if it is a mp3 with no radio, video, etc.
Wow thank you so much for this article!! We bought this mp3 player for my daughter thinking it was “kosher” and I had no idea about the hidden browser. We will replace it with a real kosher one!!
Yes this is very true
I have a brother in yeshiva and heard all about this issue.
There’s one type which doesn’t have wifi but most people don’t get that type. Even if there’s no wifi they have access to SD cards which can have all types of movies and DVARIM HUASURIM.
The Timmkoo issue is the worst because it looks so kosher and the hanholla and parents don’t realize how bad they are
Parents DO NOT TRUST YOUR KID WITH THESE HARMFUL DEVICES
Hanholla A TIMMKOO IS AS BAD AS A SMARTPHONE R”L AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED
May hashem keep us all away from falling and from letting other people slip so easily on such “innocent” looking devices
Yes, I know that it is true, from the side of the bochur. I see many of my friends watching movies on timkoos. This got out of hand, and BH someone voiced it. Thank you.
As a counselor in camp, not like kiddie camp, but like yeshivas kayitz and older bochurim, I went through many devices, and sadly too many of them had horrible things. Those things that we would never dream our very own bochurim are watching. And guess what kind of devices had most of these movies and videos on their sd cards, it was a bunch of Timmko’s. The device has a sharing app that can share browsing apps, videos, and almost anything way faster, and more efficient than Bluetooth. Those videos that the bochurim had were all in simple music folders. Those folders which a mother or father would think is the most chassidish. But I found in them very inappropriate things. Literally.
This is a sharp and to the point article with all it’s comments
I looked into it and it is all true
We should all be carefull with what we get for our kids
I think this article should go around everywhere
People should be aware
I just searched what a timkoo is and I typed in “timkoo” in google and this anash article was like the third website on the list just showes how important this is