Banning YouTube is a bad call

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew may have good intentions in proposing restrictions on social media use in schools, but a blanket ban on platforms like YouTube risks doing more harm than good.

In the rush to address concerns about screen time, online addiction, and student distraction, we may be overlooking an important reality: digital tools, when used responsibly, have become an essential part of modern teaching and learning.

As an educator, I spend countless hours preparing materials for my classes.

Effective teaching is not simply standing at the front of a room and talking while students passively absorb information. It involves designing lessons that engage students with different abilities, interests, and learning styles.

Some students learn best through reading and discussion, while others benefit from visual and auditory instruction that helps concepts come alive. That is why educational videos are valuable classroom tools.

A carefully selected video can explain a scientific concept more clearly than a textbook diagram. It can bring historical events to life, expose students to expert perspectives, and provide demonstrations that deepen understanding.

Videos can also support English language learners, students with learning disabilities, and students who struggle with traditional teaching methods.

Far from replacing teachers, these resources strengthen instruction.

The suggestion that banning YouTube will improve education ignores how classrooms actually function in 2026.

Teachers are not placing students in front of random online content without supervision.

Professional educators carefully select materials that are age-appropriate, curriculum connected, and educationally meaningful. Suggesting otherwise diminishes the professionalism of teachers already working in increasingly complex classrooms with limited resources and growing expectations.

As MTS President Lillian Klausen noted, YouTube has effectively replaced the VHS tapes and DVDs schools once relied on.

Education evolves alongside technology. The tools may change, but the goal remains the same: helping students understand and engage with the world around them.

The reality is that many schools already struggle with outdated textbooks, overcrowded classrooms, funding pressures, and growing student needs.

Free educational platforms help fill some of those gaps. Organizations like Let’s Talk Science provide high-quality educational content that teachers can integrate directly into lessons.

Removing access to these resources without offering meaningful alternatives creates yet another obstacle for educators already stretched thin.

More importantly, a blanket ban sends the wrong message.

It suggests that teachers cannot be trusted to exercise professional judgment in their own classrooms. Yet educators are trusted every day to assess students fairly, manage classroom dynamics, support student well-being, and teach sensitive subjects.

Why should selecting educational resources suddenly be treated differently?

There is also a larger issue at stake. Schools have a responsibility not only to educate students academically, but also to prepare them for the realities of modern life.

Technology and digital media are now central to how people learn, communicate, and work. Students need guidance in learning how to navigate online spaces critically, responsibly, and safely.

The answer is not to pretend these platforms do not exist.

Reasonable safeguards absolutely make sense. Schools should have clear policies around appropriate device use, online safety, and minimizing distractions. Students should not be aimlessly scrolling social media during instructional time.

But there is a significant difference between setting boundaries and imposing sweeping bans that eliminate valuable educational tools altogether.

Blanket policies may sound decisive, but good education policy requires nuance, collaboration, and trust in the professionals working directly with students every day.

Rather than imposing top-down restrictions, the government should consult educators, parents, technology leaders, and students themselves to develop balanced policies that support both learning and student well-being.

Teachers do not need politicians deciding which educational tools are acceptable from afar. They need support, resources, and the professional autonomy to do what they were trained to do: teach.

If the province truly wants to improve student outcomes, it should focus less on banning tools and more on addressing the deeper challenges facing classrooms today.

Technology is not the enemy. Misuse is.

And the people best equipped to understand that difference are the educators standing in front of students every single day.

Ann Evangelista is a school trustee with the Winnipeg School Division and an advocate for mental health and inclusive education.