8 phases after a complete internet Shutdown
, by billy santegoets, 2 min reading time
, by billy santegoets, 2 min reading time
Imagine if the internet were to completely shut down. What would happen and how would people, institutions, and society react to it? We'll take you through our story.
Phase 1: The Internet Shutdown
It was an unremarkable morning until the world collectively held its breath. Screens froze, connections vanished, and the digital heartbeat ceased. The silence of a global internet blackout reverberated across nations, leaving populations in disarray.
Phase 2: Initial Turmoil
Communication, the lifeblood of modern existence, faltered. Families strained to contact loved ones, businesses stumbled in the dark, and financial systems plummeted into disarray. The stock market graph resembled a steep cliff, a visual testament to the abrupt collapse of digital dependence.
Phase 3: Societal Disarray
A vacuum of information emerged. People, accustomed to instant updates, found themselves starved for news. Uncertainty birthed speculation, and communities grappled with an unsettling quiet. The absence of reliable sources bred unrest, leaving societies vulnerable and uneasy.
Phase 4: Global Fallout
Economies shook beneath the weight of severed connections. Unemployment figures soared, leaving once-thriving industries gasping for air. Store shelves, once abundant, now gaped empty. Desperation crept in, igniting civil disturbances worldwide, turning tense atmospheres into boiling points of dissent.
Preparation Amidst the Chaos:
In this tumultuous atmosphere, individuals and communities alike began their journey toward preparation and adaptation.
Phase 5: The Shift to Offline Resources
Families rifled through forgotten bookshelves, rediscovering the allure of physical knowledge. Survival guides, medical manuals, and ancient tomes on navigation became cherished treasures. Radios, gathering dust, crackled back to life, morphing into vital channels for neighborly communication.
Phase 6: Resilience and Adaptation
Communities found strength in unity. Barter systems emerged, trade routes shifted, and local initiatives blossomed. Skills swapped hands; the neighbor who once seemed aloof now offered invaluable expertise in gardening or mechanics.
Phase 7: Digital Assets for Survival
Those prescient enough to foresee this digital cataclysm had amassed a trove of critical digital assets. Offline encyclopedias, survival guides, and instructional videos became revered artifacts. Saved maps offered guidance in this uncharted offline realm, becoming precious guides for navigating a disconnected world.
Phase 8: A New Normal
As days turned into weeks and then months, a new rhythm took hold. Society adapted to the analog, rediscovering the art of letter writing, communal storytelling, and the pleasure of physical exchange. The knowledge gleaned from meticulously saved digital assets became the bedrock upon which a new way of life was built, cherishing the resilience born from the absence of a once-pervasive digital landscape.