Corporate and Classroom Conflict: The Role of Research Databases in Sexualizing America’s Children
Corporate and Classroom Conflict:
The Role of Research Databases in Sexualizing America’s Children
Replacing hardcover encyclopedias of years past, online research databases are an educational staple for today’s students. Whether students attend public, private, or homeschools, they likely have accessed research databases to supplement classroom instruction.
In addition to schools, public libraries also offer vendor-sourced databases. Renaming them “homework databases,” libraries market such databases to school children as convenient resources for homework assignments.
Unfortunately, research and homework databases can be gateways for pornography and other harmful content to reach children without parental knowledge or oversight. Over the last several years, reports of obscene content easily accessed through these programs have reverberated all over the country.
Read the full report: Corporate and Classroom Conflict
Billing itself as “The Natural Partner,” EBSCO may be talking out of both sides of its corporate mouth by promising scholastic, age-appropriate content to schools while also promising market expansion to its publishing and advertising partners. Are both possible without compromising student safety?