No one likes to pay for things, but ultimately, someone has to pay for all of this. Network infrastructure, software development, and media creation don’t just happen, they all require significant resources. They can be paid for in all kinds of different ways, but they will be paid for.
At present, a large amount of the cost is covered by advertising and the sale of user data. That is what drives nearly all of the enshitification we see. It keeps us from having to deal with what we’re paying, but it makes our internet experiences, and our lives, worse in all kinds of ways.
If we could switch over to a system where we actually paid directly to cover the costs it would be an improvement for almost everyone. It would also reduce the overall cost by eliminating all of the middle men who take a chunk of the money in exchange for facilitating the destruction of our privacy.
There are a lot of ways we could pay directly. A lot of similar things are handled directly by various levels of government and paid for out of taxes. Having each person pay for what they use, in small amounts as they use it, would be another. OP’s suggestion has its tradeoffs, but it would be an improvement over what we have now.
Some years ago I acted as crew on an ultra-low budget film. We didn’t have the budget for simulated firearms so we had to use real ones. Everyone involved in the project agreed that extreme care was warranted. We made certain that there was no live ammunition anywhere near the set. Firearms were locked up unless they were being held by a trained crew member or an actor. The actors were all taught the basics of how their firearms operated and how to check the chambers. The prop handlers and actors checked every firearm every time it changed hands, even when they had just watched the person who handed it to them check the chamber.
With all of that in place, we still insisted on following the other rules as well. Trigger discipline was maintained at all times, including while filming scenes. Camera angles were adjusted so that firearms never had to pointed at anyone or anything that we were not willing to damage. Actors were careful to keep their firearms pointed in the safe directions that had been arranged, even when simulating their use.
It was a fair amount of trouble and it added time to a very tight operation, but there were absolutely no incidents, or near incidents, or concerns that there might be an incident. That is how everyone who handles firearms should treat them in real life. It takes a little time and attention, but it isn’t difficult. And following even one of the safety rules makes it impossible for anyone to be hurt accidentally.
Learning and following the safety rules is a cheap investment for the benefit of not accidentally killing someone.