Take a moment to reflect on your reliance on technology. You most likely have a cell phone, a computer, perhaps an iPod, an Xbox or PS3. Think of all the time you spend online each day playing video games, watching television, talking to people on Facebook, watching videos on YouTube, texting your friends. Admit it or not, most people rely heavily on technology. Now think, what if a power outage occurs? Not one of those tiny, twenty minute power outages that we've grown accustomed to. What if a huge power outage hits your home and lasts for a day or more? Would you be prepared? Could you handle being without technology for so long?
Power outages happen all the time. An earthquake or heavy storm could take out power lines and transformers. Scientists also fear that a large solar storm would be able to cause a huge power outage, shutting down all satellites and power grids. Just about a week ago, the worst electrical blackout in world history hit India, affecting 670 million people, ten percent of the WORLD'S population! It lasted for about two days, leaving trains and subways immobile and trapping miners underground. Would you be ready for that? There wouldn't be television! Food would spoil as refrigerators failed! Biking would be the best way to get around as gas stations wouldn't be functioning and stoplights would be out. Forget the microwave, oven, and stove! Once your phone or computer dies, you won't be able to charge it, taking Internet and communications out of the equation. Looting would occur as store alarms and security systems, including burglar alarms, wouldn't work. Police and emergency response teams would be bombarded with calls and take longer to respond. Do you still think you would be ready for a serious power outage?
Some blackouts have lasted for weeks. Think: what if your computer and phone die. You wouldn't be able to use the Internet. I recall watching a satirical television show in which the
Internet stopped working. A family traveled from Colorado all the way to
California in the hopes of finding Internet as they were so addicted to it. This episode makes fun
of society's reliance on the Internet and many people's addiction to it. Could you handle being away from the Internet for such an extended period of time?
My question to you is: how would you fare should technology fail due to a major power outage? Would you panic? Would you be prepared? How do you think society would fare? How much of your life revolves around technology?
Another factor to how one would react to these things is location. In the city, a power outage would render most everything useless, unless one has gas powered items.
ReplyDeleteThis past week I took a camping trip to Sequoia. The only modern luxuries I had were tents, factory-made clothes/swimsuit, flashlights, and the church's gasoline powered van. For a week, I 'fell off the face of the earth' as my friend would say. I did not touch my phone, we had no social networking, and we only spoke to each other. A week without technology did not impact me much. However, at home, it would make all the refridgerated food rot, make night light a rarity, and make public things like traffic lights useless. Many can't tell time and traffic will cause many late people. I wouldn't be able to do any online portion of my classes' homework (woe I lost a week of APUSH and AP English). Our dependency on technology despises me, and I've allowed myself to fall victim. Technology can be the difference between getting into a class and getting rejected. It has many upsides, though, such as learning a language, providing entertainment (if one has the self control to limit the time spent on it), and allowing one to be aware of local to global (even universal) issues instantly. In short, we all would do fine for a while (nonperishable food is what college kids survive on, and bonfires/gas stoves can cook), but society would be at standstill and it could possibly kill the economy in the area. I have an odd relationship with technology (electrical) considering that I don't care if I'm disconnected, unless it will affect my grades drastically and hinder me from getting a job (when I apply). I think many would overreact at first, but eventually, people adjust.
I admit I would go crazy without the internet. I use it for almost everything. Listening to music, playing video-games, and catching up on the news so if there was ever a world wide power outage I wouldn't be prepared, I would panic. I would get bored really fast and try to find something productive to do like read a book or play sports. On a similar note has anyone heard of the new television show Revolution? It deals with the same question proposed here. If anyone is interested in the show here's the link to the trailer.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwfCRAtkYEI
It's interesting how you said you'd panic and you use the internet a lot, then posted a video of a trailer. (I mean no offense here! I hope you don't hate me. haha) I find it quite funny (:
DeleteHaving no access to any form of elecricity is a pretty scary thought. I remember when I experienced a small blackout not lasting more than twenty minutes. Of course I was watching television at the time it occurred. I was not prepared. The one flashlight I found wasn't working. If there was a freak storm or destructive earthquake, it is pretty safe to say that I would either be dead or be crying myself to sleep.
ReplyDeleteIf there was a giant natural disaster, I believe that the lack of electricity is the least of our problems. However, electricity is pretty important in times of crisis. Electricity is what connects us to others and without it society would be freaking out. Instead of trying to come up with a new solution, society would be raging at their dead phone or their neighbors. Children wouldn't be playing outside with their jump ropes or reading the newest mystery novel. They would complain and cry because their favorite sponge or masked hero wasn't on television.
Having arrived to the computer just after watching televsion, it would be a safe bet to say that I need my technology. I wish that I had a giant back-up generator in my basement just like in those television shows.
How would our society deal with no form of connection to the world? No Facebook, tumblr or twitter for a couple of hours gets people all chaotic and here you are talking about days. That is really scary just to think how much of our lives are dedicated to our televisions, computers and phones. Now that you point out this valid truth, I am incredibly curious to see how we would all react. But without electricity, as Edward pointed out, we would not be able to connect to our loved ones during a big crisis such as a storm or earthquake, and therefore, we would constantly be under stress hoping that they are okay.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't even know how our society would function without these gadgets. I can definitely say for myself, as well as, others that we feel that we NEED these gadgets. We need them for our daily lives but do we really? Or is this society just forcing us to use these gadgets claiming we need them. There is a lot to think about, but for now, I shall check up on my Facebook to see if I got a few notifications.
No technology? No computers or phones or television or any other "basic necessities?"
ReplyDeleteHonestly... no. I wouldn't be able to quickly adapt. Like many other stereotypical teenagers I constantly use technology. If I'm not watching television, I'm on the computer. If I'm not on the computer, I'm on my phone still on the Internet. As disappointing as it is, it's true. Our generation has become accustomed to constantly having technology by our side. Our dependence has become stronger and stronger as new innovations are released. Even then, it's not just the computers, the TV's, and the phones that I have become accustomed to using. I take granted of lights, stoves, fridges, and other everyday household appliances so it seems strange a life without them. If a big power outage hit, the people of our society would definitely panic. How could they not? Technology has become so integrated in our life to the point that it is a daily necessity.
I do admit I'd be with those who initially overreact, but I think many of you underestimate yourselves in your ability to adjust. In an extensive power outage, you would remain sane with contact of your neighbors and family. Entertainment would only temporarily shift form from television to another stupid idea that only idle people could think of. Maybe people will find that they have a lot to do without the internet as a distraction. If we can adjust to use technology, we can adjust to not use these items, and it doesn't have to be quickly. On the other hand, different people will react differently...
ReplyDeleteLike the others have mentioned above, no technology would lead to chaos and frantic fears among our youth. Teenagers our age, including me, have enveloped ourselves in technology, allowing technology itself to dictate our mindset and the actions in our everyday lives. Although many may argue the chaos and how terrible life would be if there were a sudden global power outage that cut all communications and stopped the usage of all possible technology; I believe the power outage would benefit our society more than harm it.
DeleteTechnology has become such an immense necessity in our society that it has harmed the development of our youth's physical development. Obesity rates have grown considerably from the 20th century, thus showing how technology has taken over the lives and minds of our youth. Instead of reading books to better our vocabulary and literary skills, many of us, including myself, spend our time text messaging our friends, checking Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, or playing video games with our friends on the XBox 360 or Playstation 3. Technology has caused skills necessary for life centuries ago to merely become extinct. Such simple skills include watering the lawn or plants, instead we now have water sprinklers already set for certain times to water the plants because our society has become so lazy.
Without technology, our society would return to the "Stone Age", in which, our society would be forced to survive on techniques used by our predecessors. With such necessities crucial for survival if such an event occurred, our society's youth would become healthier due to the need to work to survive; instead of playing on iPhones, iTouces, Sony Tablets or iPads, we would be forced to read books for entertainment, thus improving our society's overall literacy rates and vocabulary.
Alex is optimistic. I am not. I don't believe in your idea that the loss of techology will really benefit us. We won't magically know how to make fire from a stick and rock. Think about it. Would people really go outside suddenly and become independent? We choose to use technology. It isn't like we are forced to use it. I believe that your belief that humans will suddenly become healthy is wrong. As seen in The Brave New World, our trained behaviors or "conditioning" are hard to break free of. Pandemonium will ensue way before humans are able to lose a couple of pounds. Heck, having a couple of pounds might make you a target for cannibalism when all the food in the world goes rotten. Sorry to burst your bubble Alex.
DeleteI think most people in our society now a days would not be able to cope with a major power outage. A while back, all Verizon phones were not working due to technical difficulties and people were going crazy ! And that was just due to losing cell phone service. I could only imagine how bad I would be with the loss of all cell phone networks and computers. People would have no ways of connecting or getting online! Many people refuse to admit that it would be difficult for them, but I for one admit that it would be VERY difficult to go through a major power outage that lasted for more than a day.
ReplyDeleteI, like most people, have become so attached to my electronic that it is part of my body. While I’ll try to explain that I’m not dependent on electronics because I don’t have a phone, I say that with a console, computer, laptop, and TV in my room. I’ve come to the point where if I go on a trip or vacation, it’s now a need instead of want to bring an electronic device. The major factor in a power outage happening now would be communication. As the world is now, the only way most people talk is threw something powered by electricity. I don’t think I would be able to handle a power outage because I get frustrated when my ps3 has to update for a few hours and I can’t play. Even though one of my dreams is to go back to the 70’s, I don’t realize the reliance I have on everything I own today.
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