As of the start of the school year, WJ’s guest and secure wi-fi connections have implemented blocks on all social media accounts and outrage at the school’s wi-fi has reached a new high.

The reaction to this implementation is overwhelmingly negative, from students and teachers alike. The block was put in place to prevent students from accessing social media during class, but is causing some negative repercussions.

“Banning the use of wi-fi for Instagram and Snapchat doesn’t stop people from using the apps,” sophomore Sonia Tavik said. “A lot of my friends and people I know just turn off their wi-fi when they want to use it, so there’s no point in blocking it.”

Students have already found ways around the block by downloading apps that can surpass the wi-fi restrictions, and are then able to continue using social media normally.

“It is actually making students go to extra lengths to be able to access their social media platforms,” senior Katie Lokker said. “For example, I know of several people who have downloaded separate apps that can surpass the wi-fi restrictions in order to use things like Snapchat. I think the idea behind the blocks was a good one, but all in all, the final result is that kids are going to find ways to use their social media while at school.”

Additionally, some believe that internet filtering gets in the way of education. In The Atlantic, an article discussed how blocking Facebook prevents students from coordinating for extracurricular activities and other academic functions.

“Maria Salmeron, a junior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School just outside Washington, D.C., uses Facebook in student organizing as a leader in the Minority Scholars Program, a youth-led group working to increase the academic success of students of color in Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools. This school year, the district blocked Facebook, effectively cutting Salmeron off from a critical mobilization tool,” Atlantic reporter Joe Stevens said.  
With about a month under the new regulation, students and teachers alike have already come out with strong opinions concerning the block. From altering the way students learn to influencing large-scale group communication, only time will tell how the restriction will continue to change local districts for better or for worse.