According to a recent study, 61% of people aged 14 to 24 illegally download copyrighted music (Van Der Sar, August 2009). Known as "file sharing," the process of making digital files available over the Internet is a habit among many people of all ages. Since the release of Napster, the first file sharing program, in 1999, the prevalence of file sharing has continued to increase. According to Koleman Strumpf, in 2006, 60% of all Internet traffic was due to file sharing, up from less than 10% in 1999 (Pries 1). The rapid growth of file sharing can be attributed to several factors, one of which is the general social acceptance of downloading music without paying (Grassmuck 1). However, not everyone supports file sharing. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a group that represents music industry distributors in the United States, continues to attempt to eliminate mass downloading of its clients' music. According to the RIAA, illegal file sharing causes “$12.5 billion in losses to the U.S. economy as well as more than 70,000 lost jobs and $2 billion in wages for American workers” (“Who Music Theft Hurts "). But plenty of research casts doubt on these numbers, and while the RIAA wouldn't want people to know it, file sharing actually has many benefits. Because of the benefits that file sharing has for both artists and consumers and the data that refutes opposing arguments, file sharing should be legalized. Music sharing began in the early days of physical media, with the cassette. People with cassette players were free to record songs from the radio and share them with their friends. Soon after, with the dawn of the digital age, sharing became even easier. People started ripping music...... middle of paper ......p., May 27, 2004. Web. May 2, 2011. .Van Der Sar, Ernesto. "Artists don't think piracy hurts them financially, study finds." TorrentFreak. Np, December 4, 2011. Web. April 29, 2011. .- - -. "File sharers start handing over $1,000 each in bizarre amnesty program." TorrentFreak. Np, February 17, 2011. Web. May 2, 2011. .- - -. “14-24 year olds pirate 8,000 pieces of music each.” Torrent monster. Np, August 10, 2009. Web. May 2, 2011. “Who Does Music Theft Hurt?” » RIAA. Recording Industry Association of America, 2011. Web. May 2 2011. .