Students debate over web filters

Pros and Cons

Students encounter blocked cites

Null Byte

Limiting access: Schools who receive funding are required to put filters on their devices or servers. This can be seen as a necessary safety precaution or as a road block to research. This article explores both sides of this issue.

Abby Gruner, Giuliana Engelman, editor, reporter

 

Students encounter blocked cites
Null Byte
Limiting access:
Schools who receive funding are required to put filters on their devices or servers. This can be seen as a necessary safety precaution or as a road block to research. This article explores both sides of this issue.

Web Filters Pros and Cons: Pros

Guiliana Engelman

As students in the 21st century, it is most likely that we have all been faced with internet content filters at school. Though they may sometimes prove inconvenient and irritating, they have unfortunately become a necessity. One major point states the obvious: they prevent students from accessing inappropriate content such as pornography or violent images or videos. 

Another important advantage to web filtering is that it keeps students on task within a learning environment. By blocking sites for games and entertainment, kids are less likely to become distracted when they are at school or in class. One final prevention is that internet filters greatly limit the odds of children being reached by online predators, hackers, and scammers.

By blocking this type of content, teachers don’t have to worry as much about the content that their students are being exposed to online while in their class and are able to more freely allow their students to use the internet for educational purposes. There  is also the benefit of funding that is provided to schools that filter content according to the guidelines stated by the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). This money goes to expanding and improving the educational opportunities given to the students at those schools.

As you can see there are a significant number of reasons and benefits to enforce internet content blockers in schools. They prevent access to harmful content, limit distractions, and provide the opportunity of improved education. Though they have their drawbacks, the benefits outweigh the issues.

To support the advantages, many people, educators and students alike have voiced their positions on the subject of web filtering. “Internet filters, if used wisely, provide a welcome addition to the protection of schools,” said Fred Holmes, according to educationworld.com. “With the horror stories about the Internet that the media puts out, a school’s use of filters can be one way to ease parents’ fears about their children’s safety on the Internet.”

According to slideshare.net, some students in an international study voiced their opinions on the positive impact of web filtering. One states, “It is extremely useful to monitor and prevent younger kids from seeing all that the internet has to offer. The internet contains much content and the ability to filter certain topics can be a useful tool.”

Another student says, “As a whole, web filtering is good because it does protect us from certain things. A big thing I agree with is stopping us from getting sidetracked… it can be hard in lessons when we are on the internet to not get distracted.”

According to educationworld.com, Robin Smith states, “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also educate children to do their own filtering. The ethical use of computers should be taught in elementary school and continually reinforced. Education is key to providing students with the skills they need to use computers and the Internet outside of the school setting. Many parents do not have filtering at home, but they want to be sure their child is not exposed to anything inappropriate at school. That is sort of a double standard, but that’s the way it is.”

Perhaps, alongside the protection of web filters, we could also help to educate the students in regards to Internet safety. It is true that if the filters are constantly preventing students from learning how to navigate the web on their own, they won’t be as likely to do so safely after the element of a web filter is removed from their life. That being said, it wouldn’t do to have no Internet filter at all. They are a necessity in promoting Internet safety and function as a sort of proverbial set of training wheels.

 

Con:

Abigail Gruner

Web filters placed on school devices and servers prevent students from being able to complete thorough research. Teaching students how to use the Internet appropriately from the beginning of their educational careers prepares them for life after high school far better than web filters that just impede their research.

It is mandated by the Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000 that all schools and libraries that receive certain federal funding block children’s access to obscene material, child pornography, and material deemed harmful to minors. However, what actually is harmful to minors? It is up to school boards and school districts to decide. Often, students experience over filtering that is the result of unspecific and wide regulations.

It is unrealistic to believe that web filters will actually stop students from accessing inappropriate content. Students do find ways around web filters such as using non school devices. Ultimately, only constant monitoring can stop students from accessing inappropriate sites. The Internet is so readily available these days it is not difficult at all for students to access the Internet outside of school, outside of the supposed safety of web filters. 

Students learning to be responsible with the Internet is a skill that will only become increasingly important. Students’ educations should prepare them for their lives as adults, and adults don’t have web filters. Learning to find reliable and credible sites is an important research skill necessary for life after high school. 

A common argument for web filtering is that students could get off task easily if they had complete access to the internet. Even with web filtering students can get off task easily while using the internet, and it is ultimately the responsibility of students to stay on task. Students who aren’t able to stay on task will face consequences such as having more homework or deductions to their grades. With time, students would learn to make their own lives easier by simply being responsible with the internet. Students must be given the chance to learn the responsibilities that come with unrestricted Internet access.

In addition to facing consequences such as lower grades on assignments and having to complete more homework outside of class students, students could also be kept on task with the threat of their browsing histories being checked. Even if students try to delete their histories they aren’t truly gone and could be easily accessed by a school IT person. 

Also, web filter situations are often different for teachers than students. Here at NC some teachers do not have restrictions on their devices. This can inconvenience teachers when finding sites for students to use as sights they might find credible may be blocked on the students’ devices. 

From the time students have their first encounter with the Internet to the end of their senior years of high school, children should be learning how to responsibly use the Internet. Web filters inhibit students’ abilities to learn how to take responsibility of their Internet use. The Internet is everywhere these days, and web filters at school will not stop students from accessing inappropriate sights. Why keep students from learning how to find credible sights and stay on task while using the Internet?