A typical day on the internet for me looks something like this: wake up, check Instagram and Threads, check my stock portfolio, check my dwindling bank account, research a question I have on Reddit. I don't stream much TV anymore, but for most Americans, that activity would fall somewhere in the day. Sometimes I take calls on Zoom or Google Meet. Every once in awhile I log into MyChart, for my medical records, or to schedule upcoming appointments.
In some countries in the world I can't do any of that. Meta? Reddit? Video calls? Censored. Banks, financial institutions, and healthcare portals? Access restricted for security reasons. Streaming TV? Only in the U.S.
Americans got a taste of this back in January 2025 with the short-lived U.S. TikTok ban. According to an attorney at the ACLU, the ban was "unprecedented and unconstitutional." For many TikTok'ers abroad, though, the biggest controversy wasn't that the U.S. government was banning TikTok, but that Americans seemed to be unaware that VPNs exist. The rest of the world has long relied on VPNs to get around media censorship. Why wouldn't Americans do it too?
Well, no one ever ended up having to figure it out – at least not for now – but I'm here to tell you that you need a VPN... whether you're traveling abroad or not.
Huh? You're wondering. I thought you only need one if you're traveling abroad for a long time?
Nope. Bypassing censorship and geographic restrictions when using the internet is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of having a VPN.
There's actually a BIG money saving reason that you need a VPN.
Or I wouldn't be writing this post. 😉
Read on for six reasons why you should get a VPN – and how to maximize the benefits of having one.
