At Berkeley High School, opening Instagram, TikTok, or other social media on school Wi-Fi leads to an ever-loading page, blocking students, staff, and admin from accessing these platforms. This “firewall,” implemented by the district and enforced by BHS administration, blocks most social media, leaving students with two choices: turning off Wi-Fi and using cellular data, or staying off of social media for the duration of the school day.
According to Matt Albinson, a computer science teacher and the instructional technology coordinator at BHS, the reasoning for the firewall is straightforward: “We provide Wi-Fi at the school for learning purposes. Social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, (and) Snap(chat) don’t really have learning purposes, so that’s why we block it. We don’t want it to be a distraction for students.”
AnnieJae Fischburg, BHS Vice Principal and Dean of Students, clarified that any internet use on school Wi-Fi or devices can be monitored under specific conditions. “When students are using the school Wi-Fi or using their school devices … that data is collected,” she said. “A reason to block social media is to help students with their privacy. If you could go on your Instagram at school, then more of your Instagram information would be available to the school in a way that probably actually isn’t good.”
For some students, this firewall is an inconvenience during their daily life. “It’s a good idea to keep kids focused, but it can be really annoying at lunch or before school,” said Thom Kuehnl, a sophomore in CAS. “Also, if you have a club social media, (the firewall) can really mess it up… and they’re not really stopping anything because kids can turn off the Wi-Fi, so they’re just making your phone watch social media (at a slower speed).”
Other students see less of an issue. Uma Shekhang, a junior in BIHS, explained, “I don't really mind (the firewall). I don't really have my phone during school. Like, I don't use it during school time… I don't know what business you'd have on social media during school time.”
Delphine Wadlund, a BIHS junior, recognized that while the firewall prevents distractions during class, it also may raise concerns about whether it is actually a fair policy. “I think that it lets people learn more in class and not be distracted,” she said. “But also sometimes people like to go on their social media in their free time in their class after they’ve finished work. So it kind of is like getting into people's personal freedoms and it's a bit controlling.”
While some students may feel that the firewall is invasive, this isn’t its intention. “Our goal isn't to police,” Albinson said. “We know that we're not in charge of what you do, but it is our job to create an environment here in school which is directed as much as possible towards learning.”
Despite the fact that the firewall is intended to be a tool for focus and safety, some, such as John Villavicencio, the BHS Director of Student Activities, view it as an obstacle to communication. “I see (social media) as a communication tool, and that communication tool is blocked (due to the firewall),” said Villavicencio. “Every little thing that blocks it just makes it harder to get more people to recognize (student campaigns or events).”
Other teachers pointed out another consequence of the firewall: how it disrupts student organizations that rely on social media. “So much Berkeley High information is given to students through Instagram. Clubs are on Instagram… if you want this information, then you need to join these social media groups,” said Louise Harm, a BHS IB and AP Environmental Science teacher. “And what does it mean to not have that and to therefore not be a part of those conversations?”
Clio Wachtel, a senior in BIHS who runs several club accounts, described the logistical headaches some students take to get around the firewall: “People are literally downloading VPN apps just to make sure that they have Wi-Fi so they can check their Instagram for a couple of seconds,” she said. Due to the firewall, posting must be moved to later in the day, which can negatively impact clubs and organizations, explained Wachtel. “During the day is the best time for me to post things or to contact people,” she said. “Having this block (makes it) really hard for me to get engagement in the same way.”
Drawing on his experience as ASB Commissioner of Technology, BIHS senior Jaymul Barot voiced strong opposition to the ban. Barot described the ban as “a failure in the school system,” arguing that the platform is an important hub for club information, student journalism, and community updates. As the Commissioner of Technology, Barot supports ASB with electronics, computer and internet technology expertise and gives recommendations for technologies that enhance the services of ASB. “Just don't firewall Instagram,” Barot said. “People will be able to find their clubs and go to the clubs, be part of the extracurricular activities.” Currently, Barot is working on trying to remove the ban, using his position as the ASB Commissioner of Technology to arrange meetings with people in charge of technology on a district level.
At the classroom level, some teachers are experimenting with their own strategies to reduce distractions from social media. AP Chemistry teacher Aaron Glimme began using phone pockets this year after noticing that self-regulation wasn’t working for many students. “Last year, I had three or four kids who actually asked me to take their phones because they couldn’t regulate themselves,” Glimme said. Since introducing the policy, he has seen much more attention during lectures with little pushback from students, he explained.
On the other hand, some students suggested that rather than complete bans on social media, the school should focus on education and engagement. Wadlund proposed that the school could “give more education about social media and the effects of how social media… messes with the brains of people who are still going through development, as teenagers.”
Harm agrees that teachers and administrators must give more education on social media. “I don’t love social media, and yet I engage in it because it’s the way society is currently working,” she said. “It’s really hard to teach teenagers how to use social media in positive ways. That’s not happening in all classrooms, and it’s not happening in all families.” She emphasized that in order to effectively and safely participate in social media, there needs to be an aspect of digital education and literacy that currently not all students have access to.
The debate over the firewall also reflects a larger tension: how schools are forced to adapt to a digital environment that shapes so much of teenage life. Social media platforms are deeply embedded in how students connect with each other, consume news, and express themselves. But they are also sources of distraction, stress, and in some cases, harm. Teachers and administrators must navigate these contradictions while deciding how much access to allow during school hours.
Despite these drawbacks, Harm ultimately supports the firewall. “Not allowing Instagram to be easily accessible on campus, I’m in full support of,” she said. She explained that she has witnessed “multiple issues that have come up on the Berkeley High campus through social media accounts and really harmful things that have gone down.”
That perspective is shared by other educators who have seen similar issues unfold beyond Berkeley High. “I taught at Albany High School … during the Instagram incident that the book Accountable is written about took place,” said Fischburg, referring to Dashka Slater’s book that tells the story of how, in 2017, several students at Albany High School created and shared a racist Instagram account targeting their Black classmates, leading to widespread outrage, disciplinary action, and national attention. “I have seen firsthand some of the ways that social media can really get out of hand on a school site, and the kind of harm that it can cause students,” Fischburg continued. She added that at the time, Albany High also had a social media firewall, but it didn’t stop the incident from happening. The experience, she explained, showed her that while firewalls can limit exposure during the school day, they can’t fully prevent the harms of social media from reaching students.
For now, the firewall remains, with students continuing to switch off Wi-Fi or use VPNs whenever they want access to social media. But the conversation around it reflects larger challenges faced by schools everywhere: how to balance focus with student freedom, safety with independence, and digital literacy with digital restriction. At BHS, where independence and student voice are deeply valued, the firewall has become more than a technical block. It is a symbol of the ongoing tug-of-war between students and administration over who gets to decide how technology fits into the school day.