Net Neutrality and Control of the Internet

I am about 16 years old and I’m on youtube trying to watch the Blue Lagoon. When I click on it, a disclaimer pops up. I need to be 18 years old to watch it. Of course I found another way to watch it, as curious teenagers often do. The film is about cousins who get lost at sea at a young age and learn how to live on a deserted beach. They live off natural resources and are completely oblivious of the civilized world that exists around them. They are also oblivious of their bodies as the female cousin experiences menstruation for the first time and as they both learn about their natural sexual urges when they have sex together for the first time.

To me, the disclaimer suggests that people under 18 should not be learning about their bodies or sex. I find this kind of censorship to be extremely problematic-- How can we not be given the right to see how our bodies work? The film is not violent. In fact, it is a beautiful exploration of how we were created. Thus, I am still confused as to why the film has been deemed inappropriate for minors. I find that this kind of censorship regarding the body and sex seems to be more prevalent in the United States. Sex is extremely taboo in this country and the body seems to be labeled “embarrassing.” Having traveled a lot, I’ve noticed how differently nakedness is treated in different countries. In America, children are told from a young age to cover up learning to call genitalia “private parts.” As they get older, the internet reinforces this sort of privateness. I don’t know in depth how other countries treat nakedness but I have noticed my friends from different countries seeming more relaxed and open about talking about the subject.

The internet is supposed to be democratic, meaning that all people should have equal access to it. But this is not the case. People are blocked from sites. The role of the internet as democratic is also threatened by the rejection of net neutrality. Deirdre Fulton’s article “Public Outrage Over Net Neutrality Proposal Causes FCC site to Crash” (http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/07/16/public-outrage-over-net-neutrality-proposal-causes-fcc-site-crash)  discusses the public’s anger over a proposal that would allow richer companies faster internet service. This kind of proposition is threatening to an open internet.

It seems as if the internet, once a useful resource to us, has begun to dictate us instead. Although we may choose what sites to go to, the internet controls what sites are more readily available and more efficient to use. Maybe we are unaware of the internet’s control over us.