Teens and Net Neutrality: Why we need it (Anderson)

      

            http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/06/netflix-vs-verizon-vs-consumer-can-everyone-win/

            http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/world/asia/05china.html?_r=0

       

    Net neutrality is the rule that all internet is free, you have the same access as anyone else. With the government seeking to take that away, some websites will have to be paid for. This is a problem because most teens like to go on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Companies like Verizon can charge your family more for the use of Netflix if Net Neutrality is no longer a thing. In fact they can block your access to Netflix altogether if you don't pay up. This is a problem because I like many teenagers use Netflix on a pretty much daily basis. It's important for us to stay informed so that we can make noise to tell the government that we do not want this. Teens need to know about net neutrality so they can fight against it.

    An example of this is Netflix vs. Verizon. Verizon has it's own movie and tv show viewing thing. A large amount of their customers were using Netflix. They made it so Netflix was pretty much blocked on their TV's. Netflix responded by putting up a warning that basically said "Sorry your internet providers are jerks". This ended when Netflix basically said they had had enough and agreed to pay Verizon. Without Net Neutrality, Verizon could charge even more fro you to use Netflix on your computer. 

   Countries without Net Neutrality have regulations and blocked websites. There is even a special part of the government that controls the internet. This could be our reality as an American people, to have an agency that's specific purpose is to be a watchdog over the internet. Teens need to be educated on net neutrality so as to know what could be taken away if it the government votes for it to be taken away. The exclusivity of this kind of internet does not help the majority of internet users. Teens must be informed so they can shout make noise and openly oppose a regulated internet.