Should the internet be turned off for a week?

twowheelsonly

pwurple wrote: »

You’d certainly feel it when distribution of goods and services stopped. When financial transactions stopped. Would it be brilliant when hospitals couldn’t get lab results anymore, when orders couldn’t be placed for goods, when nobody could get paid, when alarms and warning systems failed to connect...

I wonder what people think the internet is at times like these.

I hear what you're saying but the vast amount of these services have only been internet dependent since around 2005.

It's all pretty ironic at the moment that people are complaining about Government control this, that and the next thing in regards to the Covid situation yet the main way people are complaining about this is via the one thing that essentially controls all of us.

tjhook

twowheelsonly wrote: »

It's all pretty ironic at the moment that people are complaining about Government control this, that and the next thing in regards to the Covid situation yet the main way people are complaining about this is via the one thing that essentially controls all of us.

The internet is a communication tool. You may as well be saying that the written word controls us.

EmmetSpiceland

Should be turned off, wiped completely and rebooted with much tighter restrictions.

beertons

Yes. But only if we are all allowed back to work.

Crush On You

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Should be turned off, wiped completely and rebooted with much tighter restrictions.

What you thinking? No pseudonyms? No filters for the ladies to make them look better than they are?

Fake Scores

They've never had to turn the internet back on again but if they're having trouble they can just Google....oh no wait

murpho999

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

It's a great idea, the internet has half the world driven cracked. If the global economy is so dependent on the internet then society needs to cop on a little bit and get ready for when issues like the web going for a week emerge.

It's not a great idea.

It's like saying 100 years ago that electricity 100 years ago was causing people stress as they read more bad news at night time due to having lights that it would be better to switch electricity off for a week to give people a week off.

Also like saying that all pubs should be closed forever because some people become alcoholics.

The world's economy is already dependent on the internet. Banking, company communications, travel, commerce etc all rely on it.

Even if Amazon was down for a few hours it would have repercussions.

It's nothing to with copping on, it's how technology has developed and it's here to stay.

Ted_YNWA

I need it for work & to procrastinate while working.

McGinniesta

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

This would give everyone a break and could provide us with a huge mental health boost. Also it would give people a chance to realise they were gone too into twitter and facebook etc. Even if the Government just did it from say Good Friday to late on Easter Sunday night wouldn't it give us a chance for contemplation. Should they do it?

No.

What I am supposed to jerk off to?

McGinniesta

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

I need it for work & to procrastinate while working.

I prefer to call it working while procrastinating.

sheesh

McGinniesta wrote: »

No.

What I am supposed to jerk off to?

just use your imagination like they did in the good old days.

It would probably do some of the 18 hours a day, 7 days a week sorts over in the Current Affairs forum the world of good. And the lads who are addicted to online porn. Not saying there's an overlap between both groups.

Hyperbollix

The Elders of the Internet normally go with a quick 10 second off and on again to reset. Does the job. A week is drastic.

Anesthetize

Whatever you do, don't turn off stackoverflow.com

The software industry in Ireland would grind to a halt.

FromADistance

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

This would give everyone a break and could provide us with a huge mental health boost. Also it would give people a chance to realise they were gone too into twitter and facebook etc. Even if the Government just did it from say Good Friday to late on Easter Sunday night wouldn't it give us a chance for contemplation. Should they do it?

Christ are you looking to start World War 3?

Mules

I'd rather not have a chance for contemplation :cool:

wonski

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

This would give everyone a break and could provide us with a huge mental health boost. Also it would give people a chance to realise they were gone too into twitter and facebook etc. Even if the Government just did it from say Good Friday to late on Easter Sunday night wouldn't it give us a chance for contemplation. Should they do it?

Contemplation of what? Of sitting at home during lockdown without Internet access?

Great idea.

Sure you can go hike in the mountains or cycle around the house or watch RTÉ instead of Netflix.

If you have problem with Internet you can switch it off yourself

Sunny Disposition

Some of ye think I want it switched off for myself. That’s not the case, it’d be god for everyone.
Lot of things are going to pot since the internet became ubiquitous. Far fewer people going to mass for one thing, the spiritual dimension is getting lost.

lawred2

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

This would give everyone a break and could provide us with a huge mental health boost. Also it would give people a chance to realise they were gone too into twitter and facebook etc. Even if the Government just did it from say Good Friday to late on Easter Sunday night wouldn't it give us a chance for contemplation. Should they do it?

The old internet is a bit more than Facebook and Twitter

odyssey06

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

Some of ye think I want it switched off for myself. That’s not the case, it’d be god for everyone.
Lot of things are going to pot since the internet became ubiquitous. Far fewer people going to mass for one thing, the spiritual dimension is getting lost.

Well for one thing you can get the mass on the internet.

And for another even if the internet had stayed in its 90s niche, mass attendance here would still be sinking like a stone. They didnt have the internet in Magdalene Laundries.

Lewis_Benson

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

This would give everyone a break and could provide us with a huge mental health boost. Also it would give people a chance to realise they were gone too into twitter and facebook etc. Even if the Government just did it from say Good Friday to late on Easter Sunday night wouldn't it give us a chance for contemplation. Should they do it?

The government?
They can't "turn off the Internet"

Sunny Disposition

odyssey06 wrote: »

Well for one thing you can get the mass on the internet.

And for another even if the internet had stayed in its 90s niche, mass attendance here would still be sinking like a stone. They didnt have the internet in Magdalene Laundries.

No doubt the mass on the internet has been great during lockdown, has kept a lot of people going. But the point still stands, there are fewer people going to mass now than there were 20 years back. Some of that is down to people getting too caught up in online nonsense.

Sunny Disposition

Lewis_Benson wrote: »

The government?
They can't "turn off the Internet"

Of course they can.

Mister Vain

Is this you Sunny?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sftDYDoDfho

odyssey06

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

No doubt the mass on the internet has been great during lockdown, has kept a lot of people going. But the point still stands, there are fewer people going to mass now than there were 20 years back. Some of that is down to people getting too caught up in online nonsense.

The point doesnt stand if you look at the trajectory of mass attendence. It was dropping 20 percent in the 90s well before internet took off. The church has deeper problems than the internet.

If you want to get people to detach from the internet this turn off the internet is a fantasy.
The internet isnt just boards and social media.
It underpins daily life now.

Start up a group running digital detox weekends, teach some analogue offline skills. Offer something positive if thats how you feel.

Mules

I like the internet so wouldn't want to go without it. It would be an interesting though, to cut it worldwide for a while, to see what would happen

wench

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

Some of ye think I want it switched off for myself. That’s not the case, it’d be god for everyone.
Lot of things are going to pot since the internet became ubiquitous. Far fewer people going to mass for one thing, the spiritual dimension is getting lost.

I thought this was a typo, but given the second sentence...


Anyway, I gave up god long before I even had dial-up internet.

odyssey06

Mules wrote: »

I like the internet so wouldn't want to go without it. It would be an interesting though, to cut it worldwide for a while, to see what would happen

I was happy enough witb it when it was only on computers and needed small bit of effort to get online.

Putting it onto phones and every other device is a whole other level.

Aongus Von Bismarck

I do think people need to think long and hard about their internet usage, and what they want to get out of it. There's obviously very addictive patterns forming, with the dopamine hits making people stare gormlessly into their phone for hours.

You can even see it on sites like this - extremely irritable, bad-tempered, and belligerent posters fighting over matters they have no influence over, giving out about RTÉ, societal changes, the price of alcohol etc. It's an outrage hamster wheel for dimwits.

I obviously use the internet for work, but strictly limit my usage both before and after work. I don't use my smartphone for very much, and tend to use a laptop as I find it's more conducive to using screen time for personal productivity, learning, and self-development.

Tony EH

Of course it shouldn't be turned off (how that actually happen is another thing entirely).

But it would be absolutely hilarious to see it happen.

Honestly though, I cannot imagine anything that would get people out to the streets in protest than something like that.