What if? It's the basis of many stories. We ask. We ponder. We wonder.
On Tuesdays I throw one out there. What if? It may be speculative. It may stem from something I see. It may be something I pull from the news.
Make of it what you will. If a for instance is not specified, interpret that instance as you wish. And if the idea turns into a story, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements 😉
What if some nefarious individual managed to crash all the cell phones in the world at once? (I won't specify for how long, but assume this will take more than a day to fix if it can be fixed at all.)
Note: I have stopped responding to comments on these "What if?" posts, but I do read them all. I realized that I kept trying to either explain or defend the question, which is not the point. I toss the question out there, and you get to interpret it as you see fit. I am frequently surprised by everyone's interpretations, and I enjoy seeing what tangents you all take.
Things would certainly be in a mess for quite some time. Probably some disastrous results. We do depend on them these days, not just as phones, but as computers. I don't even have a phone line to my house, so I'd be cut off from phone calls. At least we'd have the Internet and emails!
ReplyDeletethecontemplativecat here. The phones would be part of a major shutdown. computers, the internet phones, tv, banks...it would be a mess.
ReplyDeleteIt will show us how much we are dependent on these things. Maybe even help a few get off these phones...as I write this using my phone..lol
ReplyDeleteSucks not to be able to reach elderly parents, but otherwise it might be a mixed blessing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd bring popcorn to the horror show that would be young people melting down without their phone!
Everyone under the age of 30 would probably be paralyzed. But, really, we all would be. So many of even my generation depend on phones to do their banking, communications. Even work. And no, I'm not using my phone to comment, but only because Blogger doesn't seem to cooperate with cell phones.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have a landline anymore, so I’d be at a loss … for awhile. I remember a world without cell phones so I’d be ok.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say sometimes I enjoy losing my cell phone or telling people later the battery wouldn't charge and it was dead and going completely without being reachable for a few days. I rather like the silence of it. I memorized the numbers I need, in case I travel as I did once to the coast clinic and forgot not only my cell phone but my purse, so no money, no gas, no way to call anyone on another phone because the numbers were contacts, faces, and I'd never memorized them.
ReplyDeleteThis would make a great movie plot!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alana — everyone under the age of 30 would probably be paralyzed.
I think I would be good—I am often totally off the grid when I'm on an overseas vacation. My max was 2 weeks.