Digital Smarts - Blocking Sites on the Internet May Hurt Student Learning

A recent article from The Atlantic magazine site entitled How Internet Filtering Hurts Kids examines web filtering at schools in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. The act requires schools and libraries to block or filter Internet access to pictures and material that are “obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors” on computers that are used by students under 17 years of age. The article discusses over-filtering—filtering beyond the requirements of CIPA – and how that can keep students from accessing information they actually need for schoolwork, contributing to the digital divide between students who have access to technology at home and those who do not.