[QuarterReptile]

>How could someone realistically use the modern Internet and still avoid content that starts them down unwelcome paths? (A secular analogue might be suicide ideation.)

The bottom line is that you have to create a strong break that prevents inattentive browsing or "doom scrolling." I think the lowest impact version of that would look like something where you write out exactly what you're opening your browser for (and then stick to that.) A more severe implementation would be getting rid of your smart phone and only having browsing on a PC in a common space.

Alternatively, you might get mileage out of a system that broke you out of bad patterns early rather than trying to keep you out initially. For example, an AHK script that throws a pop up every 10/20/30 minutes to ask what you're working on.

There's more complexity than just "unwelcome path", and you would have to choose your method to match your particular problem.

[danjoredd]

The way I try to stick to Christian ideals while browsing the internet, is there are certain sites I just don't visit that contain those things. Reddit, 4chan, Twitter, some Discord servers, etc. If you want to take religion seriously, you have to know what triggers sinful behaviors for yourself, nobody else will know so you have to know yourself in that regard, and avoid those places.

These days outside of hackernews and Discord I don't use much social media any more. Social media leads to people being constantly angry and judgemental, as well as leading to other ungodly attitudes, and I find that I am a much worse person when I use those sites. There is no one path to keeping yourself from going down dark roads...it's as personal as the individual using the computer. As the Bible says in Philippians 2:12, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Find what works for you as a Christian, and use it.