Net Neutrality and its Impact on Media Literacy
Net Neutrality impacts Media Literacy access by giving full access to websites, platforms, and information on the Internet. A consumer would not have to pay higher prices for faster internet speed and not worry about internet service providers (ISPs) blocking websites and platforms from their view. Consumers wouldn’t have to worry about content slowing down or paying additional service fees. For example, while researching topics for school, I’ve come across reputable academic research sites and news articles that won’t load and even receive pages stating, “Page Unavailable” or “Page Blocked.” If our internet access had Net Neutrality, this problem would never occur.
Net Neutrality is vital for Media Literacy. According to Donnell Probst, one must have “access to all information and ideas without censorship,” such as technology, Media Literacy education, and the skills to encode and decode messages. These skills would allow the ability to research topics, discover the sources, fact-check, etc., and develop conclusions based on all the information provided.
It is also vital for consumers to share and receive messages through discourse to learn new information and develop their ideas and thoughts. However, some platforms intervene in these situations and challenge Net Neutrality and Media Literacy. For example, in 2022, X, formerly known as Twitter, banned links to Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and four other platforms, according to PBS News Hour. The purpose was not clear, but those black-listed sites were competitors; some platforms have blocked competitive content in case consumers might leave their services.
Despite all the good reasons for Net Neutrality, there are concerns regarding full access. Some have stated that Net Neutrality could cause prices to rise because they wouldn’t have different plans for their services. One con that worries me most is that Net Neutrality would make it easier for illegal and dangerous content to roam free. I think about sites that promote child pornography and how they could be encouraged instead of censored. Lastly, the government would heavily monitor ISPs, becoming a costly problem for ISPs.
Photo by Petter Lagson on Unsplash
Luckily, there is an alternative to Net Neutrality at the moment. VPNs override ISPs and allow customers to access blocked websites, platforms, and information. However, this does not mean the social media platforms blocking their competitors may let customers link to competitors in their posts. In the meantime, the presence of VPNs is a good alternative during this debate regarding Net Neutrality and its importance for Media Literacy.