Numerous websites are getting blocked in LMSD, and as a result, many kids are finding ways to unblock the websites. What do you think about the blocked websites? Should they be blocked or has it gone too far? Many websites are blocked in LMSD but many students have a solution to the issue of unblocked sites that shouldn’t be used at school. Some teachers detest the students who are finding many websites that can solve the trick. 

As we talk about the pros and cons of the blocked websites, we’ll be explaining why this keeps happening.

Countless students use unblocked websites which helps them go through the day at school, but many teachers are tired of taking students’ computers because of the unblocked games that they play. 

The greater part of this will help students such as from going to links and the students are abusing the websites the way they should be such as Youtube. It also can help many students to pay more attention to the teacher rather than focusing on the game they’re playing. This might help with concentration and attention to strive them to have a better further education instead of just leaving them to have many distractions on them so they won’t get any work done. In Mrs. Mcminn’s Spanish class some students are in games and they would say, “What does me gusta mean?” which upsets many teachers including Mrs. Mcminn more than students.

Another reason it could help is, if computers were put in a special place during classes that don’t need computers that could help the students concentrate and give respect to the teachers that are getting disrespected by students.

My last reason, if we could just go back to the old school way with books and paper instead of chromebooks we would feel bored but it’ll help with concentration and attention rather than chromebooks just laying at a student’s desk just playing on an unblocked website that’s supposed to be blocked.

There are some problems that include teachers and students with computers in situations like when a teacher sends a link to their students that tells them the facts about what their learning is blocked, but there’s some students that know the website called “SafeShare” that unblocks all the blocks, but most students don’t know what “SafeShare” is, which can be a huge problem to all students (and some teachers too!). Another problem is something you wouldn’t expect, but it is that teachers can get blocked websites too! One of the teachers named Mrs. Eichman was blocked from PowerSchool but she needed to grade at home because of how busy it is at school, which is another problem with the blocked websites. Also, some teachers don’t know what “SafeShare” is, so they give Youtube links to students not knowing that it’s blocked on every student’s computer, which of course is another problem.

This system is nonsense to numerous students including me because of how simple educational apps are blocked for no reason, such as many students not being able to do anything with sign in with Google in many things we need as a middle schooler. There’s also a bunch of websites that help the environment that Lower Merion School District blocked for no reason, but if LMSD didn’t block them, it could help out the planet and the environment! Student Derek Thu says, “They blocked it for no reason!” referring to Ecosia, the website that helps grow trees. Finally, last year when our website was first completed, they blocked it until Mr. Gwyn, the owner of Newspaper Club, emailed LMSD about the blocked websites.

Two college professors from Carnegie Mellon University made an article about blocking websites. One of the lines talked about a study about blocked websites. It talked about how in 2012 blocking websites (illegal) didn’t increase the use of legal sites. However in 2013 and 2014 they blocked a total of 72 illegal websites. Many people switched to non-illegal websites rather than in 2012 going back to illegal websites.

So should we block websites or should we keep unblocked websites? Ask your family, friends, classmates, and teachers about their opinions. Also, talk about it in class and outside of school!

Get ready for many other articles in categories such as News, Arts & Entertainment, Opinion, Sports, and Literature Magazine! Hope to write soon!

Work Cited

“In Anti-Piracy Work, Blocking Websites More Effective When Multiple Sites Are Targeted.” Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, https://www.heinz.cmu.edu/media/2019/October/anti-piracy-blocking-multiple-websites. Accessed 22 November 2023.