The free proxies are slow, unreliable and often easy controlled by the GF people.  They can be down for days on end and the rest of the time they can be incredibly slow.  If you have the ability to purchase a true VPN, I would surely do it  Additionally, many of the free proxies work well on some sites and not well at allon others.

To maintain some sort of connection and social life back home it is necessary.

I think it's worth the money, just a couple of dollars and even cheaper if you subscribe longer.

I think so, I paid $45 for a year, cheap.

I have one but I hardly use it.  I occasionally go on Facebook but that's becoming less and less frequent the longer I'm here.   I wouldn't pay for one.  The free ones that are down for days are crap, but there are some reliable ones too.  I got one from a colleague and its not been down once.  

For me it is not needed at all.

I can live without Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other "must be" sites

So... why to pay?
For 45 USD I can buy some kitchen equipment instead.

thanks for the answers  ...  I think it is a waste of money still...socail media things are stupid and ..if I need something..... I can get it, even if the proxy is slow ....my experience with them has been good.............  no problem, but I seldom have to use them.

I'd use a VPN just to access youtube. Most of the time I want to watch some videos that are informative and could help my study, but can't because most are on youtube.

But that's it. I can live without Facebook and such. Have been doing so for most of my time here.

VPN rules

Come on now...400 RMB a year...what I paid...I'm sure a lot of you guys spent that money for less than a week....Its not only FB and Youtube...so many other sites are blocked...

Is it necessary? You tell me LOL. For me its a big YES

For me absobloodylutely, but it depends what you use the internet for.

I almost live on the internet, both for prep for work and for social / games and in the evenings I like to watch Youtube videos for my hobbies of cosmology, and secularism.

Therefore I spend £100 per annum on one of the best VPNs out there, recommended to me by  a BBC travelling journalist and it's my absolute No1 non essential bill. However, if you don't use social media, or youtube, then I wouldn't spend the money. Although I would still be concerned that 'they' are monitoring my emails etc.

It might be unnecessary to you, especially if you don't use websites such as Facebook, Youtube, etc

I spend an unhealthy amount of time on the internet, so to me, it was necessary.

If we don't have it how would we every know about the $2.7Billion of the premier or the truth about that guy Bo and his wife who killed the British spy?