With today’s technology and digital world, it’s fair to say that the young generation is highly addicted to their gadgets and the Internet. Nowadays, video games are widely popular among children and teenagers.
According to statistics, there are 618 million gamers under 18, which shows that gaming plays a prominent part in adolescents’ lives.
With the rise of game sites, schools block such gaming platforms to protect their students from distractions, low academic performance, safety concerns, cyberbullying, etc.
Many schools have established strict policies regarding the use of gaming sites inside school premises. Students might feel strong negative emotions like frustration towards such policies; however, students need to understand that schools apply them for children’s betterment and security.
To understand better, this blog presents the top 8 game sites blocked by schools and why.
Table of Contents
Reasons Why Game Sites Are Blocked By Schools
Schools might prohibit students from playing games during school hours for various reasons. Some of the main reasons include the following:
#1. Distraction
As game sites tend to be addictive, they can significantly disturb a student’s studies by causing distraction and interruption, which results in low academic performance.
Schools may block game sites to avoid distractions from a student’s life. This is crucial as blocking game sites will prevent time-wasteful behaviors like procrastination and laziness.
2. Inappropriate Content
Gaming platforms can involve sexually explicit and intrusive content, setting a bad example in children’s mindsets. Such inappropriate images, texts, or videos can cause children to talk or behave similarly. Thus, educational institutions don’t allow you to play games at school.
#3. Cyberbullying
Gaming sites include chatting platforms where gamers can text and talk to one another. This feature may allow online predators to bully children and teenagers. To prevent such forms of online gaming harassment, schools must block game sites.
#4. Threats And Security Risks
Gaming sites might contain malicious viruses that could cause damage to the school’s computers, laptops, or other gadgets.
Moreover, as users must sign in to game sites, it can pose the risk of leaking personal information. To protect the school’s confidentiality, they block game sites to ensure their privacy.
8 Top Game Sites Blocked By Schools
By the above-mentioned points, we can understand why it’s necessary for schools to block game sites. Now, let’s explore the top 8 game sites blocked by schools:
#1. Cool Math Games
Cool math games is a fun and exciting website that offers interesting games like puzzles, logic-strategy-based games, and math problems. The game site incorporates engaging graphics and designs, making it attractive to students.
Some of the popular games inside cool math games are ‘Fire Boy and Water Girl’ and ‘Papa’s Pizzeria.’
In a piece of previous news, it had been stated that cool math games crashed almost 70 computers in a school because it was filled with spyware and malware. This is the reason for schools blocking cool math games.
#2. Kongregate
Established in 2006, Kongregate has since gained millions of gaming users with its unique features and characteristics. Kongregate’s games are designed to capture the attention of its audience through its visuals and graphics.
Kongregate’s games are mostly about action, puzzles, and adventures. The games available on Kongregate are mostly free; however, some require users to purchase and buy subscriptions.
Kongregate games are one of the first to be banned from schools because they contain explicit content that can be violent and inappropriate for students. Such themes don’t match the school policies; thus, Kongregate games are not allowed in schools.
#3. Addicting Games
Addicting games is an online gaming portal founded in 2002. It comprises casual and hardcore gamers because of its wide range of gaming features.
As the name of the game suggests, addicting games became very addictive, and students formed an obsession with playing their games. Especially the multiplayer mode created a lot of headaches for teachers and parents. As a result, schools began to ban this particular website to keep children safe from unnecessary distractions.
Addicting games consist of game genres like sports, adventure, jigsaw puzzles, strategy, and action. Some well-known games on the addicting games website are ‘Earn to Die’ and ‘World’s hardest game.’
Its multi-player feature allows users can play together and interact with one another. It could be fun but also caused verbal fights and inappropriate behavior from kids.
#4. Poki
Poki is an online gaming platform that features action, adventure, puzzles, and strategic games. It has a reputation for regularly adding new games to its website. The games in Poki are designed for easy browsing as the features are organized categorically.
Poki is optimized for mobile gadgets and can be played on mobile devices like smartphones or tablets. The most hit games on Poki are Subway Surfers, Monkey Mart, and Drive Mad.
While Poki games are specifically designed for kids, the gaming site also contains violent action games like shooting, fighting, animal stabbing, etc. This tends to leave a negative impression on kids by making them act aggressively and be dominant over animals and other kids. Hence, schools blocked Poki games.
#5. New Grounds
New grounds is an online gaming service known for its easy navigation and user-friendly interface. It has served millions of gamers worldwide with games developed by famous artists, animators, and graphic designers.
New Grounds have multiple ranges of games available on its website, featuring simple flash games to more complex and diverse games. New Grounds hosts user-generated entertainment content from games, audio, comedic sketches, short films, and artwork.
Moreover, New Grounds offers a music section to its users where they can share their original music compositions with other users and promote themselves. Also, users can vote on their favorite games and unlock other new features.
All the exciting features available on newgrounds.com, make students very distracted from their schoolwork and assignments. Thus, to minimize disturbance in a student’s core life, schools have blocked the new grounds website.
#6. Friv
Friv is considered one of the popular destinations for gamers who want to discover and play a wide range of games and interact with other gamers. It also has a reputation for being a family-friendly and harmless gaming site.
Friv’s games range from classic arcade-style to modern multiplayer games. Friv’s is praised for its simplistic and uncomplicated designs, which make browsing easy and comfortable.
Furthermore, Frive includes leaderboards that show the names of leading competitors and the current scores that they have attained. This allows users to compete with each other for achievements and points.
Despite the appealing attributes of friv.com, it uses up a lot of bandwidth, which can slow down the school’s internet and hinder other students or teachers. Thus, schools have banned Friv to maintain a stable internet connection.
#7. Pogo
First of all, Pogo is a free online gaming website that has been providing game services for nearly 24 years. In addition, Pogo offers single-player and multi-player games, including social features like profile pages, chat rooms, and many more.
Pogo features a wide variety of games, such as classic puzzles and traditional card games like solitaire, scrabble, and mahjong. It also has casino games and modern games like Plant vs. Zombies.
Similarly, Pogo offers a loyalty feature consisting of badges and rewards. Gamers can earn such loyalties by playing games and engaging in community events.
However, using pogo.com can possibly accidentally install harmful viruses and malware on school computers. Therefore, schools block Pogo games from being used by students to protect and secure their electronic properties from being damaged.
#8. Roblox
As a matter of fact, Roblox is a global multiplayer online gaming platform where users can create their own games and share them with others. Moreover, Roblox was released in 2006, and since then, it has seen increased growth and popularity, bagging 67.3 million daily active users.
Roblox includes all types of games, including adventure, racing, roleplay, simulator, tycoon, and hobbies. Roblox features game development tools, allowing users to use their imagination and creativity by developing games.
In addition to games, Roblox offers social and loyalty features as well. Users can connect with others in chat rooms and send or receive friend requests. Roblox offers virtual tools where users can customize their avatars by buying clothing, accessories, and items from the virtual currency they earn through playing games.
Moreover, Roblox has community standards that are designed in such a way that the website is completely safe and child-friendly. In Roblox, moderators review texts in chat rooms and sensor any inappropriate texts or comments.
Similarly, Roblox also bans users who violate or exploits the community guidelines. For example- Roblox terminates users if they threaten or bully another user or use explicit words.
The main reason for schools blocking Roblox is a distraction. Roblox is a trendy game that is known to be addictive, which causes students to direct their free hours to creating or playing games on Roblox. Therefore, many schools have decided to ban Roblox from being played inside school grounds.
Alternatives Game Sites Approved By Schools
Even though schools are strict regarding students playing games inside the school, they allow some alternative game sites that are approved for students to play. Below we present you 3 alternative game sites that are allowed in schools.
#1. HoodaMath
HoodaMath is an educational gaming platform consisting of math games for students of all ages. The website is designed for students to improve their mathematic abilities and skills.
HoodaMath involves games covering various math topics, from simple maths like addition and subtraction to complex maths like algebra, geometry, and statistics. These games help increase critical thinking and problem-solving capability by making maths fun and exciting.
Schools allow students to play HoodMath’s creative games as it enhances their studies and mental capacities.
#2. Funbrain
As a matter of fact, Funbrain is another popular educational gaming site designed for kids in grades Pre-K to 8th standard. In addition, Funbrain is known for providing free resources like books, games, and videos to targeted students.
Funbrain features a wide range of educational content, like reading, math, science, and puzzle games. The games in Funbrain are prepared to enhance and develop a student’s skills, such as vocabulary, comprehension, problem-solving, and reasoning.
#3. Armor Games
Armor Games is a vibrant online free gaming website offering a large collection of almost 2000 games. It is created to be fun and engaging for users. It mostly consists of games based on strategy, critical thinking, and puzzles.
Additionally, Armor games allow users to create accounts, join discussions and groups, and participate in community events. Some of the top games on Armorgames.com are ‘The Final Earth,’ ‘Waterworks!’, and ‘Kingdom Rush.’
The website has a ‘forum’ feature where users can share tips and tricks, discuss gaming strategies and communicate with others. It is user-friendly and convenient as well.
Hence, schools allow Armor games as it is said to be a productive learning site for students.
How To Request Access To Blocked Game Sites?
Game sites are blocked and restricted by your network administrator or school administration. In this case, you have to request access to such blocked game sites. The followings are some steps and expert tips that you can apply:
#1. Use A VPN
A VPN is considered the easiest tool to access any blocked game sites. A VPN, short for Virtual Private Network, encrypts your communication and internet traffic through a secure tunnel into a different location.
Make sure you choose a reliable and authentic VPN service provider. After choosing one, you must install the VPN software on the computer device and turn it on. Finally, you can get access to the game sites.
#2. Unblock Game Sites With A Proxy Server
Proxy websites hide your IP address from the gaming website by acting as an intermediary between your gadget and the Internet or your wifi networks. Proxy servers require no installation and are free of cost. With proxy servers, you can easily bypass school restrictions on gaming!
#3. Contact The School’s IT Department
If all methods fail, you can contact the school’s network administrator or your school’s IT department head. You can contact them through email or in person and express your concern regarding the blocked game sites you want to access.
Ensure you clarify your necessity for the gaming site and how it can benefit you and your school work.
Conclusion
From this article, we can understand that schools block game sites to minimize distractions, inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and security risks. Thus, it’s essential for schools to block gaming platforms for the progress of students.
This blog provides the top 8 game sites that schools block, such as cool math games, Kongregate, addicting games, Poki, Friv, new grounds, pogo, and Roblox. All these game sites are fun and engaging, which means that kids can get addicted to them very easily.
However, schools don’t block all the game sites. They are open to allowing students to play games in their spare time, as they believe in the phrase, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ Some of the games that many schools allow you to play are HoodMath, Funbrain, and Armor Games.
It’s crucial for students to abide by school policies and conform to the gaming rules that their school has. If there are any gaming sites that you need permission to access, then you can follow the approaches mentioned above in the blog.
See Also…
3 Ways To Unblock Websites On School Chromebook 2023(Opens in a new browser tab)
How to Bypass Administrator on School Chromebook (2 Easy Steps)(Opens in a new browser tab)
How to Turn off Safe Chat in Roblox on Mobile(Opens in a new browser tab)
