Last updated on February 25, 2015
by Adam Parks// Online Editor
When the Internet was first established, it was a tool for a variety of uses, whether it be chatting with old friends, taking part in text-based computer games, or finding useful information.
Over time, however, the Internet has grown into an entertainment medium as well as a place to connect and socialize with people throughout the world.
Many people have come to make careers out of creating entertainment on the Internet.
Youtubers like PewDiePie and Rooster Teeth are able to support their families and their lifestyles because of the content that they create on the Internet.
The great part about their jobs is that they do not have anyone telling them what content they can and cannot create.
That is one of the great things about YouTube. There is always something for everyone because the content creators get to show their individuality in their work.
If you take a look at the most popular web series on the Internet, you will see that they are so many different shows, because there are so many people who make a living from making content that they love.
That being said, the Internet is beginning to face a problem that it never faced in the past.
Bigwig politicians are attempting to join major cable companies to police the Internet.
This policing is not just policing your privacy, but policing the content that these content creators make.
The policies they are attempting to put into place would allow these cable companies to not only charge these Youtubers for the content they create, but also charge you for simply watching it.
If you have an Internet service provider such as Comcast, for example, and these policing policies go into place, Comcast could charge a set fee per month to be able to access YouTube, and another fee for websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Over time, you could see your Internet bills double or even triple if you simply want to access all the Internet has to offer.
The Internet will no longer be able to flourish as the place for creative freedom.
It could become a barren wasteland where you would see the same content as what you see on television.
This is a scary thought. As someone who hopes to eventually have a career on websites such as Youtube, it is terrifying to thing that this job option may not exist for me in a few months.
Instead of allowing our Congress to decide the outcome of this, these cable companies are going straight to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and although President Barack Obama has spoken against this policy, he may not be able to stop what is coming.
If we let them start charging us for the websites we use everyday, it could lead into terrible outcomes where they charge us for other things.
It is scary to think that just because these cable companies want more money in their pockets, that they would allow all of these jobs to be lost.
If these content creators are no longer allowed to see their vision come to light, then they will lose interest in what they are doing, give up on their jobs and move to something else.
However, this problem goes farther than just the promise of Youtube. These companies could also set fees for using services such as Google or Bing and charge you every time you send a Tweet.
It seems outrageous to think that this could actually happen, but there is a very good possibility that it can and will.
There are so many ways that we can put a stop to this.
The simplest way is to sign one of the petitions floating around on the Internet. Internet websites such as savetheinternet.com is a great place to go and get all the information that is needed, regarding the topic and what it means for your everyday life.
These Internet service providers should allow us to access all of the great things the Internet has to offer, without fear of having to pay an arm and a leg.
The Internet was established as a free world for people to come in and do what they love, and it needs to stay that way.
Please help keep the Internet free and accessible by everyone.
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