By Justin Reed
Staff Writer
Mira Costa has supported the use of personal devices on campus but this also comes with the ability for them to decide what is allowed on the schools Wi-Fi. Since the 2012-2013 school years Mira Costa has had Wi-Fi in almost all areas of campus.
At Mira Costa High school on the school Wi-Fi there are multiple apps and websites that are blocked so students may not access them. The school has created a school with the purpose of letting students use of online resources for students and teachers.According to Dr. Dale, who believes that mobile devices can very well be used for educational purposes the school still does not trust the students to be productive with their smart devices. With the mobile device integration brought in during the fall of 2013 the school has filtered all internet use of the schools wifi and has blocked certain apps that students have abused.
According to sophomore Hunter Bernard, the policy of blocking apps like Snapchat at school is a quick and effective way to keep students from using their phones to communicate in class. If the school believes it is important for students to not use social media this is a very easy way to do it.This position is valid because it is completely up to school to determine what applications students may use on school devices and while using the schools internet services. It also states that any use of communication on social networking sites that does not pertain to school is prohibited.
With the banning of certain apps on campus it may seem unfair to the students but it is another way to protect the safety of students from cyber bullying and being abused online from strangers and other students. With the school being able to control what websites and apps students use it is another way to help protect the students at Mira Costa High School.According to Dr. Dale, many of the websites and apps that are blocked on the school’s Wi-Fi is not only to stop students from using their phones during classes but also to protect the schools internet infrastructure. With certain websites they can easily be used to bring viruses into the schools Wi-Fi so while it may be an unnecessary precaution the school believes it is necessary.
While it may still be important for the school to protect itself and its property they should not be restricting students in online usage unless it clearly dangerous and not just under suspicion. The school should still be able to provide a place for students to express themselves and if the students are stopped from that the school needs to be more trusting in students to not.It may be unpopular to many to have many apps blocked on school campus it is still important to protect students and make sure everyone on campus has a safe online experience and there is no cyberbullying taking place on campus.
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