Collegian

Issue date: 11/21/07 Section: Opinion

Ever been on a break from class with no homework to do? Why not bring your laptop to school and connect to the wireless network? You can do all sorts of fun things on there. Go ahead and search the web. Google and Yahoo work fine. Let's look up some crazy things to tell your friends about in your next class. Why not check the news? I'm sure your teacher would be impressed. Now lets try something not so studious, we are on a break right? Why not see what some friends are up to? Let's check out Myspace. Hmmm, doesn't seem to be working. It's ok, you probably have a Facebook account, right? Lets try that. Nope, can't get onto that one either. That's odd; I keep getting this weird colored screen. So what are we going to do now? I guess we could check our emails, but there's only so much fun in that. Now I've got two hours of free time to kill and a twelve pound laptop that won't go to any of the sites I want. I guess I'll just go take a nap in my car. A January 2007 study of average user time spent on the internet revealed people spend most of their time on networking sites like Myspace and Facebook. Another study by Anderson Analytics, specifically aimed at the college demographic, revealed that the top three sites used by college students were Facebook, Google, and Myspace. 45 percent of students polled said they use Facebook and at least one other social networking site to communicate with friends. Now, I understand the distraction these sites might impose in the library and classroom computers, but the wireless network is used mostly by students who have free time in between classes. Why shouldn't they be able to connect with their friends from other schools and areas? Why can't they maintain a social life while waiting for their next class? It's bad enough having a two-hour break without a laptop. Why should someone's own property be censored during their free time? For a campus that is usually considerate with decisions involving students, I can't believe this ban on websites is still going on. Please do us a favor and give back the internet.

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