by Theordore Colcher (6th)

Hi, I am CMS Scoop writer Theodore Colcher, and today I would like to talk about a subject that has caused an uproar in the school - and not for a good reason. YouTube has been blocked. Clicking on most videos will give you the standard “blocked” message. This angered many people, (including me!) It’s no secret that our school regularly blocks sites, so why is YouTube so different, and why is everyone so mad?

Reason 1: YouTube connects to society

YouTube isn’t a game or a learning tool - it’s social media. More specifically, it was the only social media platform that was not blocked. Why is this important? Well, school computers are, for some people, the only technology they have. That means no social media - no way to connect to society. This may feel unfair to those people, as it may feel like information is being restricted from them. I myself know a few people who feel this way.

Reason 2: It disrupts education

Many teachers have decided to incorporate YouTube into their lessons. One time, we had to watch a video with a partner. However, it was blocked. We were forced to do part of the lesson as a class, which was not expected or fun. I’ve also heard that Mr. O’Neil’s YouTube channel, which has all the pieces for band class, has been blocked. This frustrated a lot of people, and for good reason! No videos, no practice. This issue has definitely been brought up more than the previous reason, as unlike the first reason, teachers also aren’t too happy with the YouTube block. While I do think that sharing reasons why I dislike this block, it is equally as important to share why this might have happened. We don’t have any actual statements, but there are a few good guesses.

Counter argument 1: YouTube can be inappropriate

It’s pretty often within social media to hear of, or even see inappropriate content. This could contribute to the decision to block YouTube being made. However, this reason doesn’t make much sense, nor is it the most likely reason. The reason why I am opposed to thinking this is why the block took place is because our district already had restricted mode turned on. Restricted mode is exactly what it sounds like - a mode that can filter out inappropriate content automatically. I doubt they would block YouTube because of inappropriate content if that content was filtered out automatically. The other reason I’m going to share is by far the more likely reason.

Counter argument 2: It can be distracting

The most likely reason to why the YouTube block took place is because YouTube can be distracting during class. I asked Mrs. Harrington what she thought about YouTube, and she said this: “I think YouTube is great, I’ve used it to learn how to do many things, however I think it can be distracting at school and it could spread misinformation.” People agree that YouTube can be distracting at school if people are watching content that does not meet the curriculum. Now that we have information on why this might have taken place, I want to shut down some of the counter arguments I discussed. Let’s start with the first one.
 

Why these points are invalid

I already talked about restricted mode and how it’s turned on for every school account. Restricted mode in itself is a hot topic on whether it’s actually safe, but even if it isn’t, the school can block inappropriate videos on the site - rather than all of it. And when I say inappropriate I mean ACTUALLY inappropriate things. Even before the total ban, it was not often to see perfectly fine videos on the web blocked. The school needs to realize that inappropriate content for us is a lot less common to find than inappropriate content for an elementary school kid, though that’s pretty obvious. I think a video should only be blocked if it has material that I don’t even want to describe here. And no, I’m not talking about violence.

Before the total ban on YouTube, not many kids even actually used it in school, outside of the bus line or for school activities. YouTube was not used nearly as much as teachers seem to think it was. I myself maybe found 2 incidents where a student used YouTube when they were specifically told they couldn’t or when we were working. Basically, the ban did not change anything about kids being distracted.

Compromises

I do think that banning YouTube for everyone was a bad decision. But I don’t think that YouTube should be unblocked for everyone in the district. I am a firm believer that social media can be harmful to young kids, however not everyone in this district is a “young kid.” I think a good compromise would be this: the total ban stays for people in 4th grade or lower, but everyone in 5th grade and above should at least have more access than they currently.

Conclusion

I think YouTube is definitely a website that should’ve stayed unblocked for some people. No matter what, social media is something that teenagers should have at least a bit of exposure to. Technology, including social media, is a very important part of adult life, so being able to surf the web freely when you’re younger could be beneficial. Overall, I think I can speak for everyone when I say this: UNBLOCK YOUTUBE!