How would your life change if computers, the internet, cell phones, smart phones and GPS were suddenly gone or disabled?

I am a 3D artist. I would basically be out of work.

It would be like the time immediately following World War II. Did you know that most of WWII was fought without the use of telephones?

Bye-bye obese, rude, spoiled children! Bye-bye 24-hour news reporting. Bye-bye ineffective, distanced, emotionally removed text communication. Bye-bye conversationless dinnertime. Bye-bye instant gratification brats. Bye-bye always having to be right and googling everything. Bye-bye TMI…

I think I’ll go outside today. Boy that fresh air feels great. I wonder what my neighbor is up to. I’ll walk over and see her right after I finish writing this letter to my granny. Then maybe the kids and I will take a drive and play “I Spy.” I wonder if my roll of film is developed yet. We’ll swing by the CVS and see. It will be a fun little family project to work on the photo album this afternoon. <all smiles>

GloPro:

A couple weeks ago I was watching the news on TV and I finally asked myself the question, in depth, as to why the news has become so boring and trivial lately. They seem to focus on the most peripheral, uneventful stories…

And the answer is obvious. Because they are on the air around the clock, they no longer have much of anything to talk about. Its the same story over and over of the guy who spilled hot coffee on himself at McDonalds, fed to us like the world is coming to an end.

They say that Internet news sources are killing the big network news shows. But that’s not true. They are killing themselves by talking about the endless ennui and minutia of life that isn’t really news to begin with.

Cell phones? I would miss pay phones more.
The Internet? I would spend more time at the library.
GPS? My life wouldn’t change.
Smart phones? Don’t have one, so no.
Computers? A lot of retyping and erasing.

The biggest impact would in my work. We have electronic medical records (EMR) but I still maintain charts (to save the documents that I receive or have to print anyway, I figure I might as well keep it for when the internet is down), so I’d be OK there without the internet. However, without a computer I would be unable to program and fine-tune my patients’ hearing aids. Microchips and Digital Signal Processing have resulted in dramatic improvements in hearing technologies, and going back to analog would be dreadful.

My interpersonal communications would be more cumbersome and less frequent without the internet, since I do not like chit-chatting on the phone and my friends are all over the globe. I watch very little television, and only subscribe to cable for internet and for my son who watches some TV.

I have always been a good map reader and navigated quite well prior to GPS Nav systems. I do love that the Nav App I use now allows people to report what’s actually happening in real time (including speed traps), so it is a convenience – but not a necessity.

Before I got my iMac my other pc was “in the shop” for a week. I felt nervous and off kilter. Not insane but it was a bad feeling of loss that’s hard to describe. I’m so glad you didn’t say , “and no tv.” Then I’d go nuts.

They are called “withdrawal symptoms”.

@ragingloli Yes; I agree with you. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

I’d probably just read more books. That, and I would hook up ye olde Super Nintendo and play old ass RPG’s from my childhood. They never get boring.

The only thing that would make my life more difficult would be the loss of my cell phone for work,breaking down out in the middle of nowhere and have to try and stop someone so I could get to a phone and get help.
The rest would be a plus, would get out more, exercise be outside visit more friends.

My job would be very hard to do. I most likely wouldn’t be in touch with anyone but my husband and parents on a regular basis. I’d be bored a lot more often. I’d never be able to get anywhere I’ve never been.

I would have to learn to read a map.

I would have to buy a map and get out more often. Also, I would be jobless.

That would be like divorcing the wifi, who gets custody of the broadband? #seperationanxiety #darkages

uhh I’d be a nervous mess that horrible feeling when you can’t find your phone, nothing to play with when bored…I’d hate it.

I guess my penis would go back to being the first thing I reach for in the morning.

I’d have a super sparkling house, super clean laundry and probably look fantastic, as I’d spend hours doing my hair and face. (Bored). I’d cook really intricate recipes, workout, write letters on beautiful paper with a fountain pen. I’d also go for walks, get a dog, paint more and maybe write a novel.

I’d pull out all of the board games, card games and even mind games!

Wow! Maybe I should chuck it all in?

What’s life would be like to me?

In the past: nah, I have a lot of other entertainment to tend to. Cartoons, comics, novels… Oh! So much fun!

Now: not again! Hello again, military camp :’(

@SecondHandStoke hahaha! You have two hands, you know.

My life does not involve smartphones or even cellular phones. I do benefit greatly from the Internet for my telephone and text communication. My access to information helps me keep my mind stimulated and active. I rarely watch T.V. and ordinary telephone service and long distance charges would be too expensive for what I would get from them.

No computers? I am a CNC machinist, so like @ragingloli, I’d lose my job too.

Of course, I’d still game; I got books and dice :)

@jerv An odd answer from an active gamer… To tell the truth, I can’t live without games!

@Mimishu1995 You don’t do old-school tabletop RPGs and strategy games? I still have my old Car Wars maps and rulebooks, as well as a shelf full of GURPS and Shadowrun books and a bagful of 6-siders.

@jerv old-school tabletop RPGs and strategy games? Woa, for a moment I thought you’re referring to the first Final Fantasy.

I used to hear these terms once, but at first I thought they were at the same league as 8-bit Pokemon and such. Thanks for enlightening me. I’ll check out those now.

@GloPro True, two hands does give you the ability to multitask but what if the phone rings unexpectedly and you quickly and unthinkingly jerk the wrong hand to your ear? AAAAhhhhgh! Splooosh! AAAgrrrghhh!

My life would slow down and I could enjoy time more fully without feeling the need or pressure to remain in contact at all times.

@rojo My smartphone is for my convenience, not the convenience of those who may try to reach me.

@The First Final Fantasy; lol saving by pressing select and start on the console.

people adjust more easily than you might think.