College Blocks Facebook for a Week

[chanel]

A central Pennsylvania technological college with fewer students than many Facebook users have friends is blacking out social media for a week.

The bold experiment at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology -- which has drawn praise, criticism and even a jab on late-night TV -- means students and staff can't access Facebook, Twitter or a host of other ubiquitous social networks while on campus.

Provost Eric Darr said the exercise that began Monday is not a punishment for the school's 800 students, nor a precursor to a ban, but a way for people to think critically about the prevalence of social media.

The blackout comes on the heels of a report that Web users in the U.S. spend more time socializing on Facebook than searching with Google, according to data released last week from researchers at comScore Inc.

Still, Darr said he can't believe the controversy generated in the Twitterverse, blogosphere and academia, with some accusing the school of inflicting "a terrible thing and an infringement upon people's rights."

"By and large, the students are supportive of the whole exercise and don't get so worked up over it," Darr said.

A Week Without Facebook? Students At A Pennsylvania College Give It A Shot - cbs3.com

Great idea. I think every school try this. Comments?

 

[Madeline]

How are they doing this, chanel? What technology would allow the college to block only certain websites?

 

[chanel]

I imagine its fairly simple Madeline. There are parental controls people can get that just block certain sites.

Our school had just about everything useful blocked at one time, but now we just have to contact the tech guy, give an "educational reason" to unblock it, and they comply. Its much better now.

I imagine the kids can go a block away and steal someones Wifi or even use 3G on their phones, but it sounds like most of the kids will try it.

 

[Madeline]

I didn't realize such software could be installed at an ISP level...I thought it had to be on each PC's hard drive. Not to hijack your excellent thread, but if this can be done, wouldn't it solve many problems at K-12 schools to follow suit?

I wonder if they are blocking the bazillion social networking sites out there, or just facebook and twitter?

Anyway...I'd miss USMB if I didn't log on for a week, but facebook? Not a chance. And I'm not on twitter...the concept escapes me. WTF cares what I'm doing from one hour to the next? I barely care myself.

 

[R.C. Christian]

If you enjoy being data mined by corporate america, the NSA, the FBI, or even the CIA then facebook is the place for you.

 

[chanel]

They said "facebook, linkedin, myspace, twitter, and IM"

I was under the impression that all K-12 schools had these sites blocked.

I'd miss USMB as well. I can't get it on my PC at school but I do have my blackberry. Tee hee.

My son and his college friends tried a "digital cleanse" for two weeks. No social networking OR texting - voice messaging only. He lasted about three days.

 

[Madeline]

Ya, privacy is a huge concern, RC Christian.

 

[Madeline]

They said "facebook, linkedin, myspace, twitter, and IM"

I was under the impression that all K-12 schools had these sites blocked.

I'd miss USMB as well. I can't get it on my PC at school but I do have my blackberry. Tee hee.

My son and his college friends tried a "digital cleanse" for two weeks. No social networking OR texting - voice messaging only. He lasted about three days.

Well, there's blocking and then there's blocking. What use is it to install software on school-owned PC's when the kids are accessing the 'net all day via their phones, etc.?

I hear ya on the kid-needs-to-text thingie. You'd think we were raising a generation of mutes, they way these kids avoid using their voices to communicate.

 

[chanel]

Yes. Don't get me started on cell phones. I've seen kids threaten security for trying to take away phones. A teacher in NJ was hospitalized after trying to take a kid's phone.

I've given the lecture a hundred times. It's not only rude to text in class; it's detrimental to their learning. And even more importantly, it's an addiction that even affects their driving. I expect to hear more and more death by autos due to this compulsion. Scares the bejesus outta me.

 

[Madeline]

I know we've discussed this before, but I think it bears repeating: K-12 schools should install jammers and allow 'net access only through school owned and supervised PC's. Kids do NOT NOT NOT need to insty-access the world during school hours.

 

[dilloduck]

Too late---America has been taken over by virtual and is now dependent on it. Knock out a few satellites and we're scewed.

 

[Middleman]

This is bold? Don't most of these kids have iPhones and Blackberries that keep them connected 24/7 with the net?

 

[Conspiracist]

I didn't realize such software could be installed at an ISP level...I thought it had to be on each PC's hard drive. Not to hijack your excellent thread, but if this can be done, wouldn't it solve many problems at K-12 schools to follow suit?

I wonder if they are blocking the bazillion social networking sites out there, or just facebook and twitter?

Anyway...I'd miss USMB if I didn't log on for a week, but facebook? Not a chance. And I'm not on twitter...the concept escapes me. WTF cares what I'm doing from one hour to the next? I barely care myself.

Yes they can. It is simple now for IT to control this kinda stuff.

Kudos to this school. Facebook is a waste of time. Kids need to be a learnin'.

 

[007]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng]YouTube - Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh)[/ame]

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Too late---America has been taken over by virtual and is now dependent on it. Knock out a few satellites and we're scewed.

I would say "rescued" rather than "screwed"

 

[uscitizen]

How are they doing this, chanel? What technology would allow the college to block only certain websites?

Firewall types of functions.

bersides leave the crapbook and such on for the kids they need to learn to concentrate or just flunk out, college is supposed to be training for the real world not babysitting.

 

[Ravi]

Cool...forcing the kids to live back in the stone age...I remember in highschool when we used to have a day when everyone dressed up like it was the 1960s.

 

[Madeline]

Jesus H. Christ, Ravi....the '60's were hardly "the stone age"!

Baitch!

 

[The T]

How are they doing this, chanel? What technology would allow the college to block only certain websites?

Anything can be blocked at server/router level. Everyone has a certain IP address...at the LAN [Local Area Network] level, and WAN [Wide Area Network]...and that includes your machine that you're on...even your machine has an addy known as a MAC [Media Access Control] Hell? China blocks alot of what comes into their country. Remember their fight with Google a couple months back?

It's doable and done alot.

 

[Modbert]

I really don't see the point of this. I think just about everybody who isn't totally out of touch with technology in the first place understand just how important social networking and the internet in general are important in everyday lives.

For many, Facebook is the primary function of communicating with friends they may not see elsewhere for various reasons (different state, colleges, etc.)

Instead of rejecting social networking, schools should embrace it and open themselves to a number of new opportunities. My school uses facebook to tell students about upcoming events they might not know otherwise because they may not always read through the student activities email. Also during bad weather, they use FB to let students know there will be no classes.

Just my two cents.