By Alicia Sanchez
Net Neutrality is a major component of the internet, and it allows users to access any website and download any application without many restrictions and without having to pay extra for faster, more reliable access. Basically, it protects America’s freedom of speech and expression on the Internet. In spite of how much America values its freedoms, Net Neutrality is being threatened.
Like other students, Sophomore Mimi Southwell did not know what Net Neutrality is. Southwell said, “All I know is the internet is much slower recently.” Senior Clayton Lenig shed some light on the situation by saying, “Net Neutrality is the concept of having a free and open internet for individuals to communicate. It is thrown in contrast to the idea that an ISP [Internet Service Provider] or the government has control over what content is allowed to be uploaded or downloaded.” Senior Nick Belisle helped explain Net Neutrality by saying, “Net Neutrality is the belief that large ISP corporations shouldn’t be allowed to be given the right to have control over the access speed of certain websites. Net Neutrality would make sure that websites wouldn’t have their data transfer speeds crippled by large corporations who seek to silence competitors, extort more cash, etc.” Adding onto what Belisle and Lenig stated, Junior Austin Dixon said, “[It means that] governments and companies should treat all websites and data on the internet the same, without bias, allowing access to all information freely.”
![Plymouth High School students plug their laptop computers into the network via network cables which allow students to connect to the server, and access the internet from school. The Internet and the services it provides are used in PHS for a variety of reasons, most of them school and work related. Senior Nick Belisle said, “[I use the internet for] several hours everyday, and without it life would become much more difficult. Accessing information, entertainment, purchasing goods, etc would become much harder without the internet.” Photo by Alicia Sanchez](http://social.plymouth.k12.in.us/perspective/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/DSC_0210.jpg)
Plymouth High School students plug their laptop computers into the network via network cables which allow students to connect to the server, and access the internet from school. The Internet and the services it provides are used in PHS for a variety of reasons, most of them school and work related. Senior Nick Belisle said, “[I use the internet for] several hours everyday, and without it life would become much more difficult. Accessing information, entertainment, purchasing goods, etc would become much harder without the internet.” Photo by Alicia Sanchez
The openness and freedom one might associate with the internet are what a number of Plymouth High School students appreciate about it. Miller said, “Freedom of the Internet is very important to me. We have unrestricted access to all the information in the world sitting in our laps or in our pockets. It is the only place we can be whoever we want.” Lenig said, “The creation of the internet truly was Humanity’s first experiment with functional anarchy. The internet has been a breeding ground for the most absurd, but also a breeding ground for the most profound. It provides implications about what is and is not inherent in human behavior and how well we function with no inhibitions.”
A website, the Battle for the Net, outlines what Net Neutrality supporters believe is important about Net Neutrality and offers more important information about the idea. On September 10, 2014, many popular websites such as Tumblr, Reddit, and Twitter took place in an online protest supported by the website in order to gain support from the general public and to raise awareness of the issue. Freshman Rose Miller said, “I’m very excited that companies are standing up against the new law. I’m sure it made a difference because all those websites are influential in the world. When they talk, people listen.” Photo by Alicia Sanchez
On September 10th, websites such as Tumblr, Twitter, Google, Netflix, WordPress, Reddit, Vimeo, and Kickstarter participated in an online protest, in which they placed a spinning-wheel icon on their websites to give their users a glimpse into what they think the internet would be like if broadband providers created a “fast lane” and a “slow lane” for their customers. Clicking on it would take the user to the “Battle for the Net” website, which supports Net Neutrality and offers people ways they can help save it. This helped raise awareness of the issue. Johnston said, “I hope it can make a difference.” Belisle agreed, saying, “I support [the protest], and I hope it makes a difference.”
According to a number of PHS students, Net Neutrality is important. Both Dixon and Miller think that the internet should stay free and open for people to use. Dixon said, “The internet connects us all, everyone should be able to access it. I have been opened up to the world by the Internet, I know about things that I would never know otherwise.” Miller said, “Companies should have no control on what its customers view and should not be able to block websites or charge extra… Information should be available to all.”