Net neutrality, what it is and why it's so important that Congress fights to keep it. Net neutrality prevents Internet providers and big corporations such as Verizon, Comcast, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Google or ANY kind of social media on the web from dictating the kind of content you can access/see and from paying a monthly or even daily subscription for access.

Without net neutrality protection, all of us wouldn't be able to access our social media without having to pay a daily fee. Portugal is a perfect example of how the United States would look without the protection of Net Neutrality. Take a look:

Without the protection of Net neutrality, we won't be able to access or even see what we want.

Back in 2002, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) decided that access providers should be regulated differently than phone companies. The FCC viewed internet providers as information services. But, in 2010 due to Comcast blocking access to their network the FCC created the Open Internet Rules:

1. Transparency: internet access providers had to start disclosing how they manage their networks.

2. No Blocking: internet access providers CAN NOT block access to any legal content such as articles, websites or anything.

3. No discrimination: or Net Neutrality. Providers can not favor one source over another and essentially block all information from being access.

The FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, announced his plan to GUT net neutrality and the vote takes place on December 14th. This gives big corporations (Verizon, Comcast, etc) control over YOUR use of internet access. The internet has been a FREE and OPEN place, we can not let it end.

Imagine, each time you want to access Instagram, Snapchat or any of your social media accounts you would have to pay a daily fee. And the content would load SUPER slow on purpose to keep you from seeing it. Companies can charge more to access higher speed loading. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and Hulu for example, might not be willing to pay extra for higher speed which an result in slower streaming if you are not willing or can't afford to pay more a month.

Not only would we have to pay for access daily, but we would also have to pay for higher speed to even gain access because the FCC possibly getting rid of net neutrality protection.

And who benefits because of net neutrality? Students, Small business owners, Charities, Journalists, Bloggers, Artists, and just about every single person who uses the internet daily.

But what is the worst part?

Sites can block access to INFORMATION that we as American Citizens deserve to hear. Meaning, we could possibly only see one-sided information or none at all.

Think of it this way, Odyssey has been a huge platform for millennials to make their voice's heard. Without the protection of net neutrality, social media companies can decide to block our content if they don't agree or even like it.

Media has been more than a window on the world. It's how we have adapted when communicating with others. And it has played a HUGE and vital role in connecting and making our voices heard to our government workers. Without it, our nation would suffer.

In order for the internet to continue to be open and free for us all, one of three men, (Ajit Pai, Brendan Carr and Mike O'Reilly) need to change their mind before voting on December 14th. If not, it could be the end of the free and open internet as we know it.

Why should we keep it?

For one, with technology playing a huge role and always improving, using social media is how we have come to keep in contact with our friends, family, and even daily news. In 2017, two-thirds of 67% of Americans have reported they get at least some of their news from social media use. Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat have seen a growth in users who get news on their sites.

Two, STUDENT USE. More than all students research through the internet, whether through google scholar or anything else, it's how we have come to find as the most efficient way of researching for school projects, papers, etc.

But what would happen without net neutrality?

For one, daily fees just to access ANY social media. So yes, that includes your Snapchat, Instagram and whatever else you utilize. Along with that, certain content can be blocked from your view because the company either doesn't agree with the content or because they want you to pay to see it like I mentioned earlier.

What can you do to help?

Only five people get to vote about the changing of net neutrality protection. And two of those five people are in support of keeping it. But the three people to bug the heck out all the to December 14th is Ajit Pai, Brendan Carr, and Mike O'Reilly. One of these men needs to be in favor so net neutrality can be saved.

Their e-mails and office numbers:
ajit.pai@fcc.gov or 202-518-7399
brendan.carr@fcc.gov or 301-657-9092
mike.o'reilly@fcc.gov or 202-719-7305

You can also text "RESIST" to 50409 which will let you draft a message about net neutrality that you can send to your congress representatives. And it can be as long or as short as you want. I've done this daily to make my voice heard to my congress representatives. But it doesn't just stop at talking about Net Neutrality, so SAVE IT.

Net Neutrality ensures that everyone who utilizes the internet has FREE and OPEN access to make their voices heard and show incidents happening throughout our government, towns, nation, etc.

Taking away the use of free internet, blocking content just because the company, website or whatever doesn't agree with it is DANGEROUS (and a major threat to our democracy in my opinion). And since this affects everyone who utilizes the internet, we cannot let our internet and what we see be controlled. So make your voice heard, tweet, call, email or whatever it may be to help PERSUADE and SAVE the internet as we know it.