Should Social Media Websites Be Blocked On School Wifi?

Should Social Media Websites Be Blocked On School WiFi?

Many schools around the United States have chosen to block all social media.  Some say that blocking social media is a way to prevent students from getting distracted.  Teachers might be afraid that students will choose to go on gaming websites instead of using their computers for real school work.  Another reason schools might block social media from students WiFi is to prevent cyber bullying.  Students could use their snap chat, Instagram, or Facebook, to be mean to other students.

In previous schools I have been to, social media has been blocked.  Having social media blocked did help me during class, but after class it wasn't helpful.  I understand the thought process involved in why social media should be blocked, but it makes free periods and lunch time no fun.  

During study hall, some kids choose to play on their phones when they don't have homework.  When social media is blocked student don't have this option.  

Another big reason I don't think social media should be blocked is that some students use social media platforms such as facebook messenger to keep in contact with their parents.  For example, my brother has a phone that doesn't have data.  Facebook messenger was the only way he could talk to my phone.  Now that the wifi has blocked messenger my brother no longer has a way to keep in contact with my mother.  

I do think that it is a good idea to block certain social media and bad websites to benefit the school, I just don;t think that blocking the social media platforms that allow students to keep in contact with important people should be done.

Some people do abuse social media though.  Many students might use social media to be mean to classmates or post about teachers or students.  This is a really bad thing to do. I think that if students in the past didn't abuse their use of social media, students today would be able to have social media freedom.

Another reason that social media is a good thing to allow in school is that if an emergency happens or something bad happens in the world, you can be quick to find out about it.  

Here is a list of pros and cons:

Pros:

• Social media is an educational tool.
• Social media can be used to boost interaction in the classroom.
• Social media can improve communication between students and teachers.
• Some students might need social media platforms in order to keep in contact with teachers and be updated on important information.

Cons:

• Social media can be a distraction.
• Social media can take away from the interactive learning between a student and a classroom.
• Cyberbullying
• Cyberbullying is probably one of the most common reasons why social media is frowned upon within the school.  Some people use social media to be mean to their peers.  

I guess it really is up to the school community to decide whether or not social media should be allowed to be on the school wifi.  If it was up to me to decide, i think social media should not be blocked from school wifi.

Rational:

The Rutland herald should publish this blog because it's a local publication. There are also students from many different school systems that may read here about this blog.  My intended audience for this blog would be any student or teacher in highschool or even middle school.  Maybe anyone from ages 13+.  Or just any person in middle school or high school that has a social media account/ smart phone.  I chose to include example that would affect a person in middle or high school. I used pictures that would relate to students in or around my age. I used a very relatable tone in order to connect to an audience of all ages.