Starting this week, students on Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus will no longer be able to stream various movie and music websites through the school’s WiFi networks.
According to The Washington Post, university officials have blocked access to various streaming websites in academic buildings to redirect the focus of students onto class content and to free up bandwidth for academic purposes.
So far, the access to these websites has only been blocked on the West Lafayette campus. Students on the university’s northwest campus in Westville can still access the websites. Students living in the residence halls and on other parts of the campus also won’t be affected by the ban.
“This is aimed at what’s considered recreational streaming,” Purdue spokeswoman Julie Kercher-Updike told the News-Dispatch. “It’s really about making it so streaming doesn’t take away from giving academic resources first priority.”
Most students and professors have lauded the new policy, believing it could lead to an overall better learning environment in classrooms.
“People aren’t subtle about watching TV or playing video games. They have their laptops out, on the desk, and it’s distracting to everyone who can see their screen,” Jonathan Bradway, a 21-year-old junior at Purdue told The Washington Post. “The ban will improve the learning environment and make sure people on Purdue’s WiFi are using it for academics.”
Over the coming weeks, the university is planning to create some designated spots where students can still access the banned websites.