YouTube, once blocked completely from school computers, is now accessible to students for educational reasons only. Any videos that aren’t deemed “educational” will not play, and an error message will display above the video.

“The technology in our district is designed for an optimal education that will assist our students in their studies and future,” Campus Technology Specialist Michael Leirer said. “YouTube is a great resource for educational videos, such as when one types, ‘What causes Lightning?’ in the YouTube browser.  You are immediately flooded with options of videos on why lightning occurs and even how to reproduce this magnetic exchange.  It is for this reason YouTube is a resource for educational purposes, because it educates you. If a student was to type in ‘What does the Fox say?’, nothing will pop up.  However comical it might be to the student, it is deemed recreational with no educational merit.”

It’s a change that most students seem to appreciate.

“I think it’s convenient in a way,” sophomore Anisa Valentine said. “I mean, you don’t have to ask teachers to unlock it for you all the time. Especially with the classes that use it a lot. So it’s great for most things.”

Teachers agree that YouTube in the classroom can be something of an uncertainty.

“I think it could be used for entertainment value, but it depends on if the teachers use it for education,”AP Human Geography teacher Homa Lewis said.

With students relying on technology to such a high degree, there’s the thought that YouTube is an underutilized educational tool.

“Students can dive deeper into a subject matter that interests them or needed for research” Leirer said. “YouTube is a great tool and yet it is also with this technology that students, through a click of the mouse, can easily find themselves on sites that are harmful and deemed inappropriate according to the Child Internet Protection Act. Our number one mission at Lovejoy is to provide a safe learning environment for all of our students. So next time a student ponders the question of why they are only allowed to use YouTube for educational purposes the answer is simply: education and safety.”

For more information about the internet filter, click here.