Could we survive a day without internet? Exploring life offline in 2024

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By Lauren Wadowsky on under

Life without the internet is pretty hard to fathom. We use it for virtually everything in our lives, even for connecting with those around us. So, what would happen if the internet suddenly disappeared?

You wake up every morning and start your routine, which, for most of us, includes catching up on the news. Whether this is about your friends, celebrities, sports, or current events, it usually begins on your smartphone or tablet. Even on your commute, you’ve got a podcast or internet radio station going. Once at work, you’re sending emails, video conferencing, researching, and sending a few texts to friends. And, unless you have excessive website blocks at your office, you’re probably also checking your social media profiles. Finally, you head home and zone out to some Netflix and have one last browse through social media before you’re off to sleep.

However, what would happen if the internet vanished? We’re not talking like the internet was never created. Imagine what life would be like without the internet. Like an episode right out of Black Mirror, this unwelcomed reality would certainly turn our world upside down. But what would happen if we weren’t so connected?

Life without the internet

Some purists might argue that having no internet would be the best thing to happen. They’re the same people who think it’s horrible and that all Millennials do is Instagram their entire day. They’re not entirely wrong; studies show that incessant social media use can negatively impact our lives.

It’d be much harder to stay connected

Cons of having no internet

Of course, it’s really easy to discuss how life would be miserable without the internet. It would be a lot harder to talk to your friends on a daily (or hourly) basis. But, it would take away a sense of community that, for many of us, is vital. This could be anything from fantasy sports leagues or virtual mental health groups. As a result, we may be more disconnected than ever before. But there are more cons than you can probably imagine. You’d have to go to a shop and buy a digital file in person to access new music beyond the radio. Not to mention, business operations would slow way down. Can you imagine waiting a week for document sent by mail? No thank you!

Benefits of life without internet

On the other hand, being cut off from the internet might do wonders for our personal relationships. Because we wouldn’t have a screen to distract us, we’d start to live in the moment. Imagine heading out to a dinner with your mates and actually having a (gasp!) conversation. And, the conversation, although it still may be about gossip, would focus on the real world. There are plenty of benefits to a life without the internet but one, in particular, is worth noting: you’d get to truly interact with people. The benefits aren’t just about the time we spend awake. Our addiction to connected devices is ruining our sleep.

We’d be reading a lot more offline

What would change if we didn’t have the internet?

Say goodbye to 1-click purchases
You’ll have an all-new social life
Big Brother would have a harder time watching

Have we lost all hope?

We don’t think so. The internet contains everything we could possibly know. There isn’t another version of it. While we may depend on the internet in a seemingly unhealthy way, it hasn’t wiped out our civilization or our culture. Actually, the internet has very much become our civilization and our culture. In fact, in 2016, the term “memes” was searched more than “Jesus.”

For the eye-rollers, the internet has done wonderful things for society. From connecting people across the globe to helping students learn even more, it has countless positive sides. Just look at Gadget Flow. We’re a team of people working in several different countries and time zones. And we work in unison. It doesn’t take a well-choreographed routine to do so (although sometimes we think otherwise); all it takes is the internet.

How to cope without the internet

For some younger folks, life before the internet doesn’t exist. Even for the older readers, it’s hard to imagine what we did to pass the time before the World Wide Web. In case we have a global internet blackout, or if you’re just trying to reconnect IRL, here are some products and devices that don’t require the internet:

Where do we go from here?

Suffice it to say, it’s clear that the internet has bettered our lives. We can communicate with every corner of the globe and even maintain friendships that were previously impossible, no matter how good of a pen pal you were. At Gadget Flow, we thrive on the internet and love all it has done for innovation.

But, life is about balance. We have the internet at our disposal, and we can use it, or not use it, for just about everything. However, we highly recommend signing off every now and then to connect with the people and the world, around you.

Meet Lauren Wadowsky

Lauren has been writing and editing since 2008. She loves working with text and helping writers find their voice. When she's not typing away at her computer, she cooks and travels with her husband and two daughters.
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