What if The whole internet really crashes

originally posted by: JAGStorm
I think yesterday we got a little glimpse of how addicted society is to social media and the internet.
The news was mostly about Facebook but from what I’ve read many other sites were down.
My bank was down for a while, and I heard of other things that were down that are rarely down.

This has me wondering, is this just the beginning? I lived and remember a time without daily use of the internet and computers.
I know I can survive without them, but the question is how bad would that be? Have we come too far and become too reliant on it? I think for many people it would be absolutely devastating.

Just think about how almost every facet of our lives is somehow “connected”. The clock I use everyday is connected, my watch, my bank, my shopping, how I talk to my kids, how I plan my days, weeks, trips, etc. Even my washing machine and dryer are connected.
If by chance the big ol’ plug is disconnected I shudder to think of what will happen to society. (Yes I know, it’s not just a plug, I’m talking high level, like the government does something, electrical storms, etc, let’s not focus on the how) Can you imagine the younger crowd that has never known life without it? I think it would be very difficult for them.

For those of you that live in a cave and just pop into ATS please don’t, just don’t. The reality is the bulk of people are hyper connected these days.

I dont think it can completely go down....there are a lot of front line government workers that are working from home - that have to have internet access....doing jobs that cannot just disappear during the day because of no access. These are jobs that went remote during scandemic...and 'they' realized could remain remote except for some things.
I can promise, there is no secret internet for these employees.....right now.

HOWEVER, with that said.....maybe they would just call people in to the office, if 'they' decided to take the net down.

With that said.....I am very connected on some of these platforms....because I am very active in my community who uses social media and im very political and the only place to get accurate info is on some of these platforms as MSM is not it. I literally see social media platforms as exactly the same as this place, ATS There is absolutely no difference IMO. There are even forums here of people posting music and recipes. I am not sure if people post selfies though.....I dont even do that on social media. HA.

a reply to: JAGStorm

the world economy would collapse, radicals would have to terrorize the neighborhood as a substitute and a youtube degree would no longer have any value.

a reply to: JAGStorm

You know what I would hate to go back to the most?

Paying bills with a check and putting it in an envelope and a stamp and mailing it off.
That was the worst!! Now I can pay bills in less than 5 minutes for the ones that aren’t already automatic.

Then manually balancing a checkbook!

a reply to: JAGStorm

Old fart here.

They will never allow this to happen. They have us exactly where they want us.

It would not take people long to realize that there is a real world still out there. It would be a bit like the final scenes in the movie, The Giver".

Around 2005 I went through a power outage that took FPL three months to fix. It did not take me long to get over the lost of electricity in my life. It even became enjoyable. It was like an extended, glamorous camping trip.

I have lived the majority of my life without social media and the internet. We used computers long before everything was integrated online. Computers will be useful, they just won't be connected to the internet. I work at a satellite office, were, due to cyber safety issues, data can't be sent via the internet. I still send data the old fashion way, by courier or by fax. It works just fine.

Businesses don't have to crash if the internet does. Even if computers disappeared tomorrow, we would adjust. Businesses thrived long before computers existed. We would survive, with a good chance of actually thriving, and doing better as a people than under the massive influence of the internet.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: JAGStorm

You know what I would hate to go back to the most?

Paying bills with a check and putting it in an envelope and a stamp and mailing it off.
That was the worst!! Now I can pay bills in less than 5 minutes for the ones that aren’t already automatic.

Then manually balancing a checkbook!

But think about how much fun cats had while they obsessively observed the scanning of bills and writing of checks!

Cheers

originally posted by: JAGStorm
I think yesterday we got a little glimpse of how addicted society is to social media and the internet.
The news was mostly about Facebook but from what I’ve read many other sites were down.
My bank was down for a while, and I heard of other things that were down that are rarely down.

I heard about the social sites, didn't know anything else went down. Evidently, I don't do enough online to even notice this beyond idle chatter as it is. If it hadn't been news, I'd never have known social media was down.

This has me wondering, is this just the beginning? I lived and remember a time without daily use of the internet and computers.
I know I can survive without them, but the question is how bad would that be? Have we come too far and become too reliant on it? I think for many people it would be absolutely devastating.

To be perfectly succinct, and unapologetically blunt on this one, we'd have a wave of suicides from people who "can't handle it."
The best way to look at that would be to remember survival of the fittest reigns supreme, even if only via culture shock & adaption. Which is all that would be, culture shock & adaption. If people can't handle their version of "roughing it" (which is apparently no internet) then maybe it wouldn't be such a loss after all, but rather, a teaching point of how NOT to raise future generations.

Just think about how almost every facet of our lives is somehow “connected”. The clock I use everyday is connected,

We use analog clocks (roman numerals, no less) We have no digital dedicated timekeeping devices in the house. I don't sync the clocks to the computers or cell phone, I sync based on my gut hunches pertaining to exact sun angle around equinoxes of what time it is when I change the batteries. Somehow, I'm usually not off by more than 1 or 2 actual atomic minutes that way.

My parents always did it this way (observation & hunches) and that's how they taught us. My dad's parents had a garden sun dial they used to sync their clocks.

It's a shame it's already damn near a lost art, people can't even tell what fricking time it is anymore looking up & around.

my watch,

I haven't worn a watch since my teens, I'm not fond of stuff around my wrists (I don't do bracelets or tight gloves, either)

my bank,

As in what, online banking? I think I can do without that, we do a lot of in-person banking with explicit relationship-building intent, and it's paid off in spades. You don't get that kind of tailored service punching the keyboard solo at home.

And if you mean intra and inter-bank systems, I think they'd revert back fully to the courier system just fine, too. I'm familiar with bank couriers, had family doing it and was even allowed a ride-along day (Take Your Kid/Kid Relative To Work deal) Very interesting, and surprisingly simple procedural stuff for the 90's to release the items (paperwork, mostly) for courier transit. It won't be much (if any) harder today.

my shopping,

Why would my shopping be connected? Or do you mean online shopping? I legit consider the two as separate things, shopping being brick & mortar shopping in person, and online shopping being obvious there.
Ok, so if you mean brick & mortar shopping...about the only thing I can see being an issue would be things like...store perks programs & digital coupons being unavailable? Back to a Sunday paper and weekly mailers it is, then, I've still got my coupon organizer around here somewhere.
Oh, that and cards might go through slower, or not at all. Cash might make a helluva comeback!

Online being what it is, maybe they'll turn to showroom style brick & mortars you can ogle shiz in, and order via/buy direct from. Isn't Amazon trying that showroom idea out somewhere already anyway?

how I talk to my kids,

I assume you mean cell phones here. Landlines would make a comeback, too. It'll be funny to see how many 20-somethings and under try to figure out how to dial. Or think it's a cable company remote.

how I plan my days, weeks, trips, etc.

See, I can't figure this one out. Why would I need the internet for that? I've never used it to plan or schedule anything. Not even a trip to a museums or an amusement park, it's always "Wanna go?" "Sure!" And ya picked a day & went. Paid at the gate for entry, and voila, no 'net needed.

Even my washing machine and dryer are connected.

o.O WTF for??? The laundry is my favorite chore, hands down, love all the scents, love watching grubby crap come out squeaky clean, but I cannot for the life of me think of one good reason for the washer & dryer to be connected. It does not take much to shove a load in the wash, dose the detergent & softener, press a few buttons, and walk away, I've timed it, it's all of 2 minutes for me. Same applies for the dryer, a minute or two and I'm outta there. The hell good would a connected duo do for me? Turn it on if I'm out of the house? Why, so it can sit there for the next 6 hours anyway funking up the washer drum like ti would with a non-connected one, too? I'd be spending more money to accomplish the same outcome with a digital flare, lol.

If by chance the big ol’ plug is disconnected I shudder to think of what will happen to society. (Yes I know, it’s not just a plug, I’m talking high level, like the government does something, electrical storms, etc, let’s not focus on the how) Can you imagine the younger crowd that has never known life without it? I think it would be very difficult for them.

Reference the suicide wave mention above for that teaching point about how to NOT raise future generations. That outcome you're wary of and keep mentioning is a parenting issue, full stop. If people taught their offspring to be THAT connected, the mental fallout is and most definitely should be owned by the groomers that raised them that way.
People can start pre-emptively mitigating by doing simple # like when as the hosts, banning electronics (phones, computers, tablets) at family gatherings. Lead. By. Example.

For those of you that live in a cave and just pop into ATS please don’t, just don’t. The reality is the bulk of people are hyper connected these days.

Well, I just did. I also said a bunch of stuff mixed in up there that needs said. Instead of perpetually squirming around the topic, we need to have that tough talk. There is a large degree of personal responsibility that can solve or abate every issue you brought up, if people could simply hold one to task over it. If someone KNOWS it's just adaption, and not TEOTWAWKI, but freaks regardless, then the freaker is clearly at fault for how they react, regardless of how badly, and no one else.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'm really surprised no one has mentioned these yet:

a.) Most stores and restaurants would be unable to function, all their cash registers are networked and cannot function in an offline state. Oh, and when was the last time you saw a clerk actually count back your change???

b.) Airlines absolutely would not be able to function. Just look at what happened to Soutwest Airlines a couple times in the past few months. Complete standstill without connectivity.

c.) Most gas pumps would not work. They're all networked.

d.) Many traffic signals would stop working. Most are networked now.

e.) Trains would stop running. They need connectivity to know where they are, and where other trains are.

f.) Television stations would go off-air, everything they do is networked. Many radio stations too, but not all. Any that remained operational would be severely handicapped. Newspapers probably wouldn't circulate either, and if they did they would have no way to get the news. No news = Chaos and anarchy.

g.) Mail and deliveries would halt. Amazon, the USPS, FEDEX and so many others couldn't function without the internet or networking.

h.) Banks may be able to open, but not for long without connectivity. Banks have surprisingly little cash on hand.

i.) Credit cards (including debit cards) could not be processed, so unless you have cash...you ain't purchasing jack!

j.) Wall Street would shut down. Zero trading can be performed without connectivity.

Bottom line...without the internet it would be complete chaos and anarchy in short order. It's not about social media, but rather it's about all the other things which depend on the internet.

We should have never allowed ourselves to become so dependent on connectivity.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: JAGStorm

Thing is the internet is robust.

It's not dependent upon a single machine or cable.

But a network made up of other computer networks that span the globe.

Its beginnings(ARPANET) where all about communication redundancy.

So taking the entire thing down would be rather the task.

There is no big red off switch after all.

Well, not one, but there are three (3) which would cut the US off from the rest of the World on the interwebz. Some would try to fail over to satellite, but these links would be quickly overloaded and they'd have to start load-shedding.

There are three main points where the internet comes into the US. If those three points went down, routers would seek alternate routes and the ones which exist would be quickly overwhelmed and paralyzed. From the remaining routers perspective what they would see would effectively be a massive DDOS attack (when it was in fact legitimate traffic, but just a tidal wave of it).

a reply to: Nyiah

but I cannot for the life of me think of one good reason for the washer & dryer to be connected

It is one of the features people love most.

Where I live I have time of use electricity. What that means is that my electricity is 1/2 the price from 7pm to 7am.
I can load up the washer in the morning and at 7pm while I’m chatting away on ATS I can tell the washer it’s OK to run now.

There are also some diagnostic things it can do by being connected.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

f.) Television stations would go off-air, everything they do is networked. Many radio stations too, but not all. Any that remained operational would be severely handicapped. Newspapers probably wouldn't circulate either, and if they did they would have no way to get the news. No news = Chaos and anarchy.

I think that would be the big one…
I still have my dads old radio and that sucker still works like a charm.

Also for the people saying it’s almost impossible for it to happen.. Well we didn’t think a cold could shut down the world either did we?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

b.) Airlines absolutely would not be able to function. Just look at what happened to Soutwest Airlines a couple times in the past few months. Complete standstill without connectivity.

Not to mention air traffic control.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

b.) Airlines absolutely would not be able to function. Just look at what happened to Soutwest Airlines a couple times in the past few months. Complete standstill without connectivity.

Not to mention air traffic control.

Surprisingly, ATC is largely independent of the internet. Many of it's systems are so antiquated that they rely on technology which existed before the internet was a thing. Some of the newer evolutions such as EALP and GIS rely on the internet, but the basic underpinning ATC systems which control aircraft do not.

Airlines, on the other hand, do all of their gate management and resource planning via the internet. Not to mention most airlines reservations systems are now all via the internet. They'd be paralyzed after the first bank, and completely in the dark. They wouldn't know where anything was or where it needed to go to next. "Some" airlines might get their first flights off if they have paper stock to go back to on hand, but after that airports would grind to a halt. Airports would look like they did right after 9-11 with aircraft parked everywhere. Nothing could move.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thing is, the world just like the internet, is bigger than just the USA Flyingclaydisk.

Need to take out more than just three links in the chain to take down the entire service.

Certainly make hell of a mess and cause no end of inconvenience being cut off from our US cousins all the same.

a reply to: JAGStorm

“For those of you that live in a cave and just pop into ATS please don’t, just don’t. The reality is the bulk of people are hyper connected these days.”

Vastly under rated and true statement right here!!

Great OP!! Hits right on the mark!!

a reply to: andy06shake

Thing is, the world just like the internet, is bigger than just the USA Flyingclaydisk.

Yes, I am acutely aware of this! I was just using the US as an example. Most countries around the World have similar choke points. The US is not the nucleus of the Universe, nor was I suggesting it was.

a reply to: JAGStorm

If the internet were to really crash,I know it would make my
husband happy.He thinks I spend too much time on my computer.
I must admit,if it were to fail I would get more housework done.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Not saying you were not aware or suggesting such, just pointing it out.

Certainly have a knock on effect deletion/removal of America all the same.

But the robust nature of the beast in question and networks available would inevitably compensate.

The drop in traffic would be immense, wonder what the percentage would be actually?

Well the internet includes all communication soo imagin living before the telegraph

Also most people would die from starvation

I think the only way for all the internet to go down would be as if the whole world lost power. There is a real scenario for this event but I don't know what it's called.
Any way if that happened personal lives or events would be subsumed with the collapse of society.

a reply to: crayzeed

The Carrington Event springs to mind.

But if that happens on any sort of large scale the loss of the the internet would not be the most immediate of concerns.

But our power grids demise like you suggest.