Anna Maria Richards
Let’s face it: YouTube has long been part and parcel of our daily lives. The portal’s so informative and entertaining at the same time that we simply can’t ignore it; every day, hundreds and thousands of captivating videos are uploaded to it that we don’t want to miss. Unfortunately, it’s more likely than not that your school management doesn’t share this view.
It’s not uncommon for schools and other educational institutions to block certain websites based on their potential to distract students. The specific list will differ from school to school, but it will almost certainly include YouTube. If you’re facing this problem already or want to be informed in case it arises out of the blue, this article is for you.
Finding Out What’s Blocking You
The first step to take whenever you have trouble accessing YouTube while in your school network is to find out what’s causing this. Here’s a list of questions to answer:
- Have you checked the connection to make sure it’s working correctly? Sometimes what looks like an annoying restriction turns out to be a network failure, so this is the first thing to check.
- If you can access other websites but can’t go to YouTube, try and find out if it’s particular content that’s blocked or the entire website.
Total Blocking vs. Restricted Content
YouTube offers a variety of content, some of which might not be appropriate for certain audiences. To mitigate the risks, restrictions based on age and geographic locations are applied. These aren’t always straightforward and easy to understand, especially when it comes to geographic restrictions.
If it’s just particular videos that you can’t see due to geographic restrictions, changing your location as presented to the web is the most obvious solution. Unblock YouTube proxy providers will enable you to access the content you are looking for.
In cases where you find yourself incapable of accessing any YouTube page, it’s most likely that your school admin has disabled the website to keep students from going down the immensely fun rabbit hole. Can you do something about it? Yes, you can!
Solving the Problem with Proxies
There are several ways in which you can remove the roadblock placed in your way by the admin and finally get to see the videos you want. Some of those are nothing but quick fixes that will only work under certain circumstances.
For example, you might try and look for the video you want in another language using Google Translate. This way you might be able to bypass the restrictions as you’ll be taken to YouTube via Google Translate. It’s a clever yet time-consuming solution that’s not 100% reliable, so we don’t recommend using it unless it’s a one-time fix that you need.
To properly solve the problem, consider using so-called proxies. The term refers to something that can be described as a bridge between you and the web, i.e. an extra layer that your request needs to pass through on its way to the internet. As it does so, you get a new IP address. This approach has a number of benefits.
- With proxies, you can overcome restrictions introduced by your school admin and visit websites you couldn’t access otherwise, and YouTube is no exception.
- You can also use this tactic to overcome geographic restrictions and watch unlimited YouTube content as if you came from an entirely different part of the world. There are proxies offering all kinds of locations, from pretty much any place in the US to Europe to South America to Asia, with a lot in between. Try experimenting with these to see how it can influence your experience!
- Apart from enabling YouTube surfing and lifting barriers, proxies enhance your security as a web user as they add another tier of anonymity to your requests.
How to Get Proxies
Proxies come in all shapes and colors. Companies like Soax will offer you a multitude of options to choose from based on the settings you are going to use the IPs in. If you aren’t going to use your proxies for anything besides unblocking YouTube, there’s a specialized offer to meet this need.
When buying proxies, you’ll ideally get a chance to test these with a special tool. Alternatively, you can check if your IP has changed after the purchase. Providers may offer a money-back guarantee period in case the proxy doesn’t work. Such cases are rare, though, if you choose, so a set of proxies is more than likely to solve your problem.
Watch YouTube While at School
Accessing YouTube from within your school network can be a challenging task. With YouTube proxies like those offered by Soax, however, the mission becomes possible. Get yourself a pack and enjoy an unlimited stream of videos to help you get in the productivity mood!
What’s your favorite YouTube channel for school? Share in the comments!
