Internet Filters Affecting Educational Research

Patrick Cloonan, teacher at Manheim School District, reported to Hi-Lite Online that while some websites like YouTube have inappropriate content, it can also have beneficial materials for students. In the text it said, students have better research without web filters. This confirms that students could be asked to do an assignment and the websites that are restricted are not able to be used by those students (“NYT”).

In a world of ever evolving technology, it has become increasingly difficult for many leaders to censor and control the flow of information. The development of the Internet throughout the nineties has created a cosmopolitan world in which people from across the earth can communicate and share ideas and information. The development of Internet technology and social media web platforms have led to an increased desire for democracy in many areas of the world; however, some nations have worked to curtail the freedom of information flow by developing complex Internet censorship programs. While Internet censorship is a highly relevant topic in today’s society, it is mainly viewed as a problem in non-democratic countries. While at there is merit to this viewpoint, censorship is a much more universal obstacle than most people realize.

Being able to censor a website based off of content is another fallacy. Putting aside morals of right or wrong of content, the simple fact of what one country considers legal, is not always considered legal in another. However, this site is still available to be browsed by one citizen or resident of one country to another as part of being interconnected through the world wide web, in order to truly consider censoring this information, the other country would have to either disengage a form of connections (which is nearly impossible without disabling all connections), and or, have to go into said country and destroy the computer and or, data that is housing and sharing the information. This act is commonly thought as intrusion and can create wars between the two nations. Not to mention the fact of the said country having to literally probe into the other country’s database and locate the person’s location.

You’re online, searching for a good website to use, you click on one and the next thing you know the site is blocked. You repeat this process several more times ending up with only blocked websites and left with the sites with very little to no information to help you. For us students, this is what we have to deal with just about every day. When we need information on something we usually just end up with a plethora of blocked sites instead of useful information. Allowing students freedom online would not only help them with things such as finding information for papers but it would also show us that school officials trusts us and see us as young adults. There is the issue that students could abuse this privilege by looking up offensive or inappropriate material when they know they shouldn’t. To keep that problem from happening, online searches will still be monitored, as they are now, and if a student is caught looking up inappropriate material, then that student will either be warned or get penalized for their actions. By enforcing this, it would be far more beneficial to students than by blocking

On the website, Technology in Education, a teacher who was not named blogged about how hard it is to teach a lesson because some many websites are restricted. She went on to describe how things have gotten better, but she goes on to a quote Melinda Anderson’s from her article about internet filtering in schools. “We sometimes think too much about the content that we block, and we limit their opportunities to succeed, explore their passions, and discover their strengths and talents.” There is no doubt that if a teacher is having problems accessing vital information, it brings up the question of how much important information are high school students missing out on especially for those without access to the internet at

I think that web filters are a bit too restrictive, because sometimes you could be trying to do research on, lets say, a plant. When you’re trying to find information about a plant, you click on a website that seems like a reliable source, but it's blocked because it is a “forum” website, only because it has a comment section, or going on Pandora to listen to music so you can focus on your work. I’ve done that before, and it works, but no, I get to hear lunatics ramble about Alabama all because no music is allowed.

Students are able to get on websites that should be blocked, but they aren’t able to get on sites they really need. Filters to block students are effective, but do they guarantee that effectiveness? Paul Resnick says, “Yes, with the right software tools you can selectively block access from some people.” But Lewis argues against this. He includes in his article that trying to keep a bunch of people from doing what they want is very difficult, which is why a lot of the websites are unblocked.

THIS WEBSITE IS INACCESSIBLE. If you are a student with a technological device, you have probably received this message. Those in favor of strong filters insist they protect students and keep them focused. However, restrictive filters keep students from educational information, personal interests, and using personal time to the best of their abilities. To allow students to use technology to their advantage, school filters must be reduced.

Even with the best intentions of censoring the internet to remove inappropriate topics, the educational site will be blocked alike. For instance, if a person is trying to read information on a controversial topic, such as sexuality, drug use, or sources containing profanity, they may not be able to access the needed resources. Without these online resources, people will not have the resources to self-educate themselves on a given topic (Poland). The American Civil Liberties Union launched the “Don’t Filter Me” campaign after obtaining many reports from students who reported being “blocked from accessing websites about college scholarships for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teenagers; anti-bullying resources; and activities for student-led gay-straight alliances” (Block). After the campaign reports were filled that schools were blocking LGBT-supportive websites. However, students could access websites that condemned homosexuality (Block). This filtering is sending students the wrong message. It is sending a message that being gay, bisexual, or transgender is wrong and should be hidden. By censoring many sites, schools are limiting students’ options to get help if need be. Students will not be able to visit anti-bullying sites, suicide hotlines, or religious organizations that are online to offer help (Block). Also, if a student is writing a research paper and is looking up information online, they

Censorship is not limited to repressive regimes or network television. Weather we know it or not censorship is happening all the time throughout the day. We censor ourselves, we listen to censored music and as students we see the internet being heavily censored in school. The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was signed into law in 2000; the law requires any public schools or library to filter any inappropriate content from the computers being used by minors. Since the law has been put in place, schools across America have installed programs that use keywords to designate certain types of websites off-limits to students while using the schools internet server. The problem with these filtering programs is that they block many sites that are not pornographic or obscene in nature, Instead they tend to block sites dealing with controversial but not inappropriate content. Although the CIPA was created to protect, it has been used as a soft form of censorship in schools.

Some filters are able to block malicious sites that may automatically download viruses to your computer, according to SafeSearchForKids. Slate says that students are able to circumvent filters to reach social media sites, and that schools are trying to use filters on iPads and laptops to protect and limit usage of Internet, due to inappropriate sites. ComputerWorld says that the filters still have their faults, and they filter sites that have search queries that can be used to search up inappropriate topics. Normally, Internet filters will catch most of these inappropriate sites, as well as malicious sites. iPads and laptops are filtered mainly to be used only for school, but some students can hack or change the settings of the device to fit their personal wants. Search queries easily trick the filters, causing filters to block those sites, although the sites do not have any signs of inappropriate content or malicious content, but the search queries from the sites have such content. Internet filters have the possibility of blocking malicious and inappropriate content, but they are still containing many

Censorship is necessary to protect children from the internet. Internet censorship is subjected to government control of the ideas and information that can be accessed, published, or viewed on the internet by the society. We do not want the future generations to be exposed to violence, sex, hate, illegal substances, and false information. Children get easily influenced by the content they search, watch or read, which could be dangerous. The children should not be allowed to access these dangerous and inappropriate information. If today’s generation is viewing these things right now, it could mean that future generation can also view it and become more violent and this could cause the world to become more dangerous than it already is. Censorship

Students will be able to access more information using the internet now that legitimate sites are no longer blocked. Teacher and school board staff will be pleased to know that by providing providing unfiltered internet access they will save thousands of dollars a year. Students won’t be any more vulnerable to harmful content than they were under the supposed protection of internet filters. Katherine Schulten states that “the majority of students have unfiltered internet access at home and regularly use it when working on homework.”(Schulten). Since most students commonly use unfiltered internet outside of school, there is no reason to believe there would be a problem using it inside of school. Unfiltered internet access will indeed be an asset to staff and students both educationally and financially. If schools choose to provide unfiltered internet access they will be glad to have made the right choice with the benefits that they will

"You can no more leave your children to explore the internet than you can leave them alone in Times Square in New York," states Lee Munsil, the executive director of the National Family Legal Foundation ("Internet Regulation").   This analogy between the Internet and Times Square is indeed quite accurate.   The Internet has a plethora of information and resources, however for children especially it can be quite dangerous if not monitored properly.   Most parents would opt not to leave their children alone in New York City so how could they leave them alone on the Internet?

This program blocks pages with inappropriate information, but the problem with this Internet filter is that for some strange and unfair reason it blocks educational websites that could help students with classwork. Furthermore, the Internet has amazing websites that can facilitate a teachers’ job. For example, In United High School some teachers attach a video link into their PowerPoint presentations and as they give the lecture they find out that they cannot view the page. One of the main sources they want to use is YouTube; they use this website because it has videos that give short tutorials or brief summaries about different subjects, such as math and social studies. Unfortunately, YouTube is considered an inadequate page. These Internet filters are ridiculous; they believe every single website contains porn and drugs. It is frustrating to see that unpleasant message. There are times where students look for the same topic, and click different websites and still receive the same message. Researching for articles to back up my arguments in this essay was difficult too, for many websites are considered