Do you use a personal hotspot to access the internet during school? Chances are, the answer is yes. DCPS wifi uses whitelisting, a practice that only allows users access to approved websites, such as Aspen or Canvas. Unfortunately, this makes research and work during school all but impossible, as Google searches and smaller research websites are blocked. Many of us use personal hotspots to circumvent these restrictions, but this is not a sustainable solution.

Blacklisting, on the other hand, is. Instead of blocking almost all of the internet, administration could restrict access to distracting and inappropriate websites. This practice, known as blacklisting, is employed across the professional world. While watching youtube during school is neither feasible nor productive, access to Google drive simply makes sense. In today's increasingly digital age, these unnecessary restrictions cost students time, money, and productivity.