Editor’s note: This Letter to the Editor was contributed by students out of COMM:110

As upperclassmen here at the high school, we’ve experienced and witnessed the restraints
on technology first hand. Though we understand some restrictions are essential and required,
why are some so excessive? Multiple websites are unnecessarily blocked or restricted, which is
not just frustrating, but can hinder our learning and productivity. Along with that, we are unable
to use our school emails to access websites and resources. Take Quizlet for example, you cannot
create your own flashcards as you have to sign in and can’t use your email. Students are also
unable to use websites that help us with research. If you can’t find good enough information on a
topic with the given sites, there are no other sources to resort to.

To fix this problem, we should use Go Guardian to the extent we did previously and
reevaluate the websites that are currently blocked. We understand that we have to consider the
Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). In short, CIPA prohibits access to inappropriate
matter, direct electronic communications, and giving away personal information. Websites that
clearly violate the act should be automatically blocked to help ensure the safety of students.
However, other sites should be individually restricted by teachers if they feel the need.
Therefore, if your teacher feels that a website is inappropriate or distracting, they can simply
block it for the hour. In doing so, we will have access to more sources to help complete our work,
or even to play games when we finish.

We do think the school’s efforts have been productive in blocking websites, and they have
definitely helped keep students focused. However, we believe the system we are currently using
should be reevaluated to be less restrictive.