Nunavut's Department of Education told the CBC that the social media sites were burning through so much bandwidth …Think about how much time you spend online, for whatever your reasons. You probably feel the Internet has become such an indispensable part of our day-to-day functioning that it's difficult to imagine how you would get on without it.
In fact, many of us are so hooked to our digital habits, we seek out WiFi hotspots and Internet cafés while on vacation, perhaps even believing that there's nowhere left in the world where a boss' email can't find us.
That's not true, of course. Particularly in locales with limited bandwidth resources. That's why, as CBC News reports, schools in Nunavut are now blocking Facebook and YouTube access from their computers.
The reason? Nunavut's Department of Education told the news network that the social media sites were burning through so much bandwidth people couldn't even access their email anymore.
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While the news has surprisingly been met with approval by students, it's the teachers who have expressed their displeasure with the decision.
"When the government institutes a new policy that affects our members, we should know about it before it is implemented so that we can make our teachers aware of it and maybe have an opportunity to discuss the issue with the government," Robin Langill, president of the Nunavut Teachers' Association, told the CBC.
But it's more complicated that that. Educational videos on YouTube are increasingly used to "liven up" lessons. Now teachers have to use their own personal bandwidth allotment to download these videos at home in order to play them in the classroom.
Interestingly, the move has come as a relief to students who are easily sucked into the time-consuming social media black hole in lieu of focusing on their studies.
And it comes as a double relief to those who are prey to online bullying.
You could even argue that social media has become one of the most dangerous places for children to be bullied, as the online anonymity factor often leads adolescents and teens to say hurtful things they'd never dream of saying to their target's face.
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That's not even to mention the wide berth this documented cruelty can travel. As the Amanda Todd story reminds us, once something is posted on the Internet, it's difficult to permanently remove, leaving a digital stain on one's personal reputation.
The decision also raises a number of questions. For starters, why don't our northernmost citizens have equal access to a decent amount of bandwidth? While it's understandable that distance and a more remote location make it more challenging (not to mention expensive) to set residents up with an unlimited supply, the Internet is no longer just a luxury.
So when teachers have to tap into their own personal supply to do their jobs and emails are unavailable, it becomes more than just an inconvenience. How can this be improved?