In Protests of Net Neutrality Repeal, Teenage Voices Stood Out

It is shameful that our children don't understand basic history, civics, math and science--but can use bots to try to influence an FCC decision, most likely because of propagandizing by their teachers (if you carefully read this article). Anybody who thinks this is a simple issue, easily understood by teens, should read the massive Wikipedia article on it at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality (warning: most of you will find it very TL;DR). To get a basic feel though, consider Netflix. There are credible estimates that Netflix (and their customers) alone use 37% of the total capacity of the internet (at peak periods). Adding in a few more large services will push that to 50%. I'm not a subscriber, yet my internet bill reflects expenditures by ISPs on infrastructure to support Netflix. Why shouldn't Netflix subscribers be helping to pay for this? Al Franken calls net neutrality "the first amendment issue of our time." Yet it didn't save the vile neo-Nazi sites Stormfront and the Daily Stormer from losing their access to the internet in August, 2017. This wouldn't bother me if the internet operated under free market conditions, but this was after the Obama era rules were in place. Apparently those who've forgotten (or never new about) the National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie decision in 1977 are doomed to repeat it. If the worst, ugliest (legal) content is not protected then nothing is.

And when you turn 18, make sure you register and vote.

It is thrilling to hear that the next generation is actively pursuing the fight for net neutrality. It amazes me that many if not most of the adults in my 65 yr old cohort stare at me blankly when I ask if they are concerned about net neutrality. I watched Mr Pai state his case last week, and can only assume that he is a major shareholder in one or several major internet service providers. He is a fool if he is not.

Ms Kang doesn't seem to get the irony of the quotes and the actions described so glowingly in her article. The kicker - the students who got permission from their parents and civics teacher to skip class and drive 2 hours to Washington DC not to visit their member of congress or protest in front of the FCC or the lobbying HQ of an ISP but to protest in front of a VERIZON STORE!!!! I now understand so many more things about our democracy. The true levers of power lie in the hands of people who work in chain stores as long as those are in the nation's Capitol. It is because of civics lessons like these that we have Trump in office.

I have often said people are so anesthetized by their devices that the revolution against our eroding rights as citizens won’t come until people’s internet access is threatened and they can’t be on their phones 24/7. Maybe that time is now. It can’t come soon enough.

I constantly read that parents are bemoaning how much time their children spend on Facebook, so perhaps we should hope that it ends up in the slow lane to get kids out of the virtual and into the real world! The less time spent on the internet the better...

"It has formulated my personality, opinions and political ideology". Well that's rather chilling. Perhaps that is one reason Ms. Dasari has a limited depth of knowledge of the history of the internet and regulation of communication systems, a complex legalistic set of rules, laws and court decisions. Somehow, the internet along with the cool things she uses like Google, Facebook, You Tube, Amazon, etc., all developed well before 2015 and the Obama era neutrality regulations. Bottom line, why are we listening to 16-year olds in establishing complex national policy?

Let the fawning Trump Public be ware-this is the largest constituent group for the Internet. If they don't literally buy-it, there will be bigger problems than Trump and Ajit can think of. More blundered thinking from the 45th White House. I realize their followers like to look back and blame everyone but themselves, but failing to adequately and thoughtfully look forward will be the real end of this country.

This is part of Globalism American style. Nothing Democratic about it. Globalism is control of the masses by corporate owners for profit. It cannot exist under a true democracy. The other alternative is a dictatorship. SOMETHING WHICH WE ARE CLOSER TO TODAY THAN EVER BEFORE.

It is encouraging to read that Ms. Dasari will continue to push her representatives to repair the wrongs done by Ajit Pai. I salute her, Mr. Lewis, Ms. Crowe and all those involved in supporting clear legislation that protects net neutrality and Internet freedom. Our citizenry is fighting against an assault on our shared resources, our communities and our responsibilities to others as well as ourselves. The onslaught may feel or appear to be overwhelming. However, maintaining one's integrity and courage in the face of the lies of this administration is a good way to support our actions, our legislators, and the actions of others who are refusing to succumb to the twisted lies of a sick president and his stooges.

I was at the net neutrality protest in our town, San Jose, CA. Users of the internet may recognize that place, I don't know. There was a mixture of people of all ages at the protest. All walks of life, too, we had truck drivers headed out to deliver holiday packages honking their support. I reject, as someone from that community who knows the tech industry very well, the notion that teenagers are more digitally savvy than people who have worked in the digital world since well before those teenagers were born. Yet another cheer for age discrimination from a digitally unsavvy press. I commend the teens for getting politically involved, we need net neutrality desperately going forward. The reporters who did this article? They need to learn about prejudice before they write again.

Good thing teens don’t run the world. They have been boneheads since Adam and Eve’s kids first became teenagers.

“Young people who have grown up knowing an open internet...” Net neutrality has existed since November 2015. Roughly two years. This 16 year olds life will not change in any way. Her parents will still be paying the internet bill. New York Times quit feeding the American public this politicized garbage.

The idea that the internet was "open" before this bill was a quaint fantasy. It was already controlled by Google, Amazon, Netflix, et al. They benefitted immensely from the status quo. This is just a redistribution of power to companies that actually provide the physical connection.

We can only hope that the younger people vote in higher numbers (after they are eligible to vote) in the next elections. Younger people are usually severely underrepresented in elections.

It is encouraging to read that Ms. Dasari will continue to push her representatives to repair the wrongs done by Ajit Pai. I salute her, Mr. Lewis, Ms. Crowe and all those involved in supporting clear legislation that protects net neutrality and Internet freedom.