What if the Internet Was Turned Off?

[Cfrock]

This thread came about because of a conversation between myself and @Spiritual Mask Salesman earlier.

In Ready Player One (now a major motion picture) they have The Oasis, which is like a virtual reality Internet. [MINOR SPOILERS] In the end, the new owner of the Oasis (you'll never guess who) decides to shut it down completely every Tuesday and Thursday so people don't entirely neglect life in the real world. [END OF MINOR SPOILERS]

Here's the thread: What if this happened in real life? What if the Internet was regularly shut off once or twice a week? What would happen? What would you do?

Answers on a postcard (or, preferably, down below).

 

[Spirit]

CHAOS! CHAOS I TELLS YA!

I just wouldn't be able to talk to my online friends. That'd be the only major difference.

 

[Dio]

For me personally it would be annoying to be deprived of something I am so used to. But it wouldn't ruin my life or anything. And friends could text me like back in the olden days instead of snapping and whatsapping.

For the wider world I am sure it would cause a lot of problems at first especially for online businesses but the world would soon get used to it and adapt accordingly.

 

[Fraxinus]

I feel like I would just sleep the entire day, since that's what I usually am doing when I'm not interneting.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

I think the initial reaction would be bedlam. As you pointed out in our conversation, it would likely result in a stock market crash. Thinking it over more (over the last few hours), alot of businesses would be harmed from the Internet shutting down. One wouldn't be able to make online banking transactions, and alot of people have become accustom to online banking. The negative economic impact can't be overstated.

I menetioned in the convo from earlier that I'm convinced there are probably people out there who use the Internet to basically function. Without being able to Google search something, they'd be lost.

Social media would be cut off, huge blow. People are more immersed online than in reality. Suddenly take that away from people and there'd be backlash. Riots would ensue, and it'd just be a large scale disaster. Religious people would no doubt think Armageddon is occuring, so I'd expect to see a rise in church attendance. Resorting to alternatives would be the only way for people to make it through. Playing video games, watching Television, etc... However, for people who use Netflix and stuff... tough luck?

These are just outcomes that are coming to my mind at the moment, I'm sure there are alot more impacts that'd happen from the internet being shut off. As for what I'd do, I'd get the phone numbers of online friends I'd want to be able to talk to on the days the Internet shuts down. Other than not being able to talk to all my online friends, my daily routine wouldn't be much different. I can easily go one or two days without using the Internet, I have done it before.

 

[Dizzi]

Id be reading or playing computer games or watching tv...

 

[YIGAhim]

Reading, Skateboarding, Board Games, going to my Grandparents, ect

 

[Tsynk]

If the Internet just went out and wasn't going to come back, I would be hiking or do something to get to my fiance. Having communication with him is important to me, we prefer to speak over the Internet instead of the phone and I wouldn't have a home phone then, it's a VOIP set up. Be running my minutes out on my cell phone, so, the phone wouldn't work out so well that either he comes to get me or I hike to him.

 

[Vanessa28]

On a personal level it wouldn't be a problem at all. I can easily go without internet for days. I got so many other things to do so I'll be totally fine. But for the markets and business companies etc it would be a total disaster. I work for postal services so we depend heavily on internet (because online shoppings etc). If we're even a day out of internet it will cause a huge disaster. All packages need to be delivered in time. We had some internet issues in the recent past and it was chaos. Total chaos. Everything needed to be done by hand (scan the codes) and although it lasted for only 30 minutes we were so far behind on schedule we had to work longer to get everything done. So for me it's okay but for business...not so much

 

[Spirit]

 

[Castle]

The Book of Revelations has it all wrong...

LOL no seriously! Just as Sony