Being Free and Responsible

I encountered an article that discusses Internet filters on school computers, which is one part of the larger conversation about intellectual freedom issues. Doug Johnson, a school tech director quoted in the article, makes good points about how blocking certain websites prevents students from engaging with other viewpoints, which is “a big part of being an active citizen” (Schwartz). Furthermore, students who can’t use these resources won’t be able to express their own opinions. There’s also the issue that students without Internet access at home are being denied access to these resources if filters on Internet at school block them.

I honestly feel torn on this issue. I recognize that we don’t want to shut down certain viewpoints, even if it’s indirectly by blocking access to websites like YouTube, which is sometimes done because of bandwidth issues and not so much censorship. Being able to put different perspectives in dialogue is a key part of a thriving society.

At the same time, though, people who provide access to these resources, schools and even certainly libraries, shouldn’t be so hands off about those resources that are of a sensitive nature. These institutions have to recognize that there are some materials out there that can have a negative effect on people, especially youth. And this effect can spread to other people. For example, a person may very well foster violent thoughts against others by playing violent video games he/she accessed from a library’s computer Internet access. The library is not responsible if that person harms another, but can’t claim complete innocence.

Certainly schools as institutions that educate young people have the duty to make students responsible users of resources. That is just as much as part of “being an active citizen” as engaging with the resources. Those two actions must go hand in hand, especially as we address problems with filters.

Schwartz, K. (2015, September 30.) Are School Internet Filters the Forgotten Equity Battleground? “KQED News Mind Shift.” Retrieved from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/09/30/are-school-internet-filters-the-forgotten-equity-battleground/