As technology and online resources are modified and advanced, distance learning can become either a tool or a weapon. For some this option can be beneficial, but for many, it can hinder learning and social skills that are promoted in a classroom environment. By allowing students to access their classes online through distance learning and video conferencing, growth may be stunted and life skills are likely to not be used. Students should not be able to attend classes from home, however beneficial it may seem, as this does not promote communication and social skills, and does not provide them with the proper tools to learn classroom material.

Distance learning often means at-home students do not have to interact with peers. Online classes do not promote the proper social and life skills that are learned in an actual classroom, and things such as communicating with others and being able to voice issues are not priority. When I'm in my public school classrooms, I have to be able to interact with my peers when working on group projects or doing a class activity. Once, I wasn't able to come in for a class project, so I decided the next best option was to video conference in to help discuss and share my thoughts. It was so difficult trying to understand how others felt and how I should respond without being in the classroom with my classmates. Being able to be present with others, like in the classroom, helps me to process and communicate my thoughts better. If I was to do distance learning instead, I would not have the skills necessary to communicate and articulate my thoughts, as these skills take time, practice, and development.

Online conferencing is another way to attend classes from home, but is not a viable option in the long run, as teaching in the classroom is not the same as learning online. Being present in the classrooms means that students are able to ask questions and get help on problems. The process of asking questions, getting help, or understanding the material becomes much harder once the material is being taught online and the teacher cannot help you through the steps as thoroughly or efficiently as in the classroom. A personal example of mine is one of the online classes I attempted my sophomore year. It was a sociology course, completely online, and one of the hardest and least beneficial courses I had taken. The material for this online class was dense and difficult to comprehend, and I had so many questions that the online workbook could not answer. After extensively researching and trying to teach myself the material without avail, I decided to try one more thing before giving up. I went to my history teacher, who had some knowledge of the sociology course I was taking, and asked for help. After a few hours of in-classroom help, the content finally started to make sense. This is just one example of how distance learning is not a viable or beneficial option for students, as teaching is meant to happen in a classroom face to face, not through a screen or online platform.

Distance learning does have its perks. Students who have trouble with social skills or get anxious can escape the intimidating presentations and harassment from peers. Bullying often happens in public schools, and the argument for online learning is that this anxiety and harassment could be evaded with classes devoid of bullies and standing in front of the class. Although these points are valid, the method to correcting it is not online learning. I've dealt with online bullying much more than in the classroom, as students tend to find comfort in their keyboards. By allowing students to attend class online, bullying, like what I've experienced, can manifest much more quickly than in the classroom. Cyberbullying is becoming more and more common, and online classrooms and learning provide the perfect forum to hide behind a screen. As with social anxiety and fear, it is a real issue, but the means of solving anxious students' problems does not come from letting students be afraid and take online classes, which does not develop social skills. Online learning is good in theory, but it does not benefit the student overall.

In summary, the key to developing communication and social skills is being in the classroom to learn. Being in the classroom means students can get direct help from teachers and peers, and can work on the everyday life skills that students use outside of the classroom. Online learning is not a beneficial way to develop as a person or a student, and attending classes at home does not aid in the growth of children. Once these points are understood, distance learning becomes not a tool, but a danger to social skills, learning and growth.