Nowadays, the usage of the internet at schools is a widely-discussed topic. With the development of modern technologies, the internet has become an integral part of peoples' lives, and students' lives in particular. The question of using filtering software at schools for blocking all websites except the required ones causes significant controversies the report essay example. Although many believe that the negative aspects of using the internet at schools overweigh its positive aspects since it causes the destructions in the studying process and the free access to all web pages may have different negative consequences, the internet is a very important and effective tool for achieving good academic results and developing students’ skills in various areas of their life.
Firstly, there is a great amount of inappropriate content available on the internet. Thus, the websites, full of materials that contain violence and pornography, are widespread on the internet. Consequently, children can easily access any webpage with undesirable content. The studies by Byrd, Felker, and Duncan (2001) showed that 53% of teens had viewed the websites containing inappropriate content, such as violence and pornography, although 91% of children accessed these websites unintentionally. Without any doubt, children’s access to such websites should be blocked completely. As schools are among the top places where children use internet, they may become useful in preventing children from visiting undesirable websites. The usage of website blockers at schools is a good way of protecting children from inappropriate content. At the same time, website filtering often fails to catch all pages with undesirable content. Filtering technologies are not perfect yet. Therefore, there is always a chance that some pages with inappropriate content would not be blocked. Sometimes, even educational pages can contain an inappropriate advertisement or other banners. In most cases, it appears that internet filters only give a false sense of browsing security to educators and parents. Nevertheless, creating an illusion of safe browsing is not a solution for the problem. In addition, as it has been already mentioned, internet filtering is not a perfect system. Website blockers often block the access to legitimate educational pages and learning tools. Internet filters also can cause technical problems for accessing school networks with the help of children’s personal devices.
Furthermore, there is an opinion that blocking all websites except the required ones would result in increasing academic performance. Minimizing the number of possible distractions, such as social networks, would help students focus on the studying process and achieve better results. Browsing the internet during classes is considered multitasking. It usually leads to lack of concentration and results in the decrease of academic performance. Children, who often check social network websites while studying, usually show unsatisfying results of their studying; thus, their ability to concentrate is obviously reduced (Srivastava, 2012). On the other hand, social networks influence the increasing in the rate and quality of collaboration among the students. Students can communicate better and quickly share information, which leads to their increased productivity (Srivastava, 2012). Students, who actively use their social networks, usually tend to make many friends online. Thus, they can translate this skill to their offline academic life, which is also a great advantage. Communication between students, sharing the ideas, and helping each other are an important part of the studying process, leading to better results of academic performance.
Despite the common belief that internet browsing is a great distraction for the educational process, the restriction, caused by the limitation of using the internet, often leads to the frustration among students. This frustration causes the weakening of children's enthusiasm in completing academic assignments (Electronic Frontier Foundation Online Policy Group, 2003). At the same time, students claim that a significant amount of necessary information is not accessible because of the internet filtering software, used at schools. Unlike the internet, regular libraries cannot provide all relevant material on every possible topic. Even though there is still plenty of websites, filled with different inappropriate content, schools cannot block all websites except the required ones because it will simply limit resources for students. It is impossible to create a complete list of websites allowed for students without limiting their opportunities. Censorship is another problem, associated with filtering content. Therefore, it is important to decide who should choose which web pages are allowed for students’ access and which are not.
Moreover, the blocking of all websites except the required ones would also influence the teachers' working process and limit their opportunities. Essentially, the internet is a great library that complements teachers' work. Therefore, filtering software would limit access to the pedagogical appropriate web pages and as a result, it will limit teachers’ opportunities to work and grow as professionals. Filtering software can block teacher’s own researches and complicate their educational experience (Electronic Frontier Foundation Online Policy Group, 2003). At the same time, teachers claim that “up-to-date information based technology that is well integrated into the classroom is absolutely essential (38%) or very important (43%) in impacting student achievement” (Overaa, 2014). Thus, limiting their access to the internet will definitely influence their educational productivity and opportunities for teachers and students.
Lastly, in the 21st century, the importance of using interactive online tools is obvious. Thus, to become productive specialists, student should have an access to the technologies that professionals use for effective work on a daily basis. The usage of the internet is an essential part of becoming an expert in critical thinking, collaboration, multimedia communication, complex problem solving, and other skills, required for being a competitive expert in modern society. Despite the fact that social networks, blogs, and forums are considered undesirable web pages at schools, most teenagers use them at home, and nearly 50% of them use social networks for communication on educational topics and the topics of the schoolwork as well (Oveera, 2014). In fact, there are a great number of advantages of free internet browsing. Moreover, all disadvantages of children's accessing the internet may be limited with the help of careful control by their parents and teachers. Moderating students’ internet activity and limiting it to some certain amount of time can be more effective tools in fighting the internet's disadvantages than simply filtering web pages.
Therefore, internet filtering is a great tool with many opportunities and advantages. It helps minimize children’s access to the web pages with an inappropriate content and limits the destructions during the process of education, but it is still imperfect and there are lots of different issues about it that definitely need to be worked out. Moreover, the internet is a great educational tool. Not only does it give students more opportunities for effective studying but it also useful in developing the skills, important for their future professional life. Limiting access to the internet means limiting these opportunities and children's development as the members of modern society. It is obvious that all advantages of free internet browsing overweigh the disadvantages of this process. Therefore, schools should not block all websites except the required ones because it limits students’ opportunities and greatly reduces teachers’ ability to work effectively and develop as professionals.
