Do you think Lockdown would be harder without the internet

[Jenasaurus]

I mean it would definitely be different, we would have to use our home phones to call people, and read books, watch TV and play board games to keep us entertained. I am just wondering if the internet makes things harder or easier.

Although the newspapers arent that trustworthy at times, I imagine there would be less fake news and scaremongering but also people would be less aware of the accurate information too. Things only google can provide, like the information on other countries and how they are dealing with the situation.

Just thinking a pandemic 30 years ago would be a totally different experience

Online shopping wouldnt be available either, so that would mean more people in the supermarkets too

Another thought, what did scammers use before the internet to con people, I guess it was via post or cold calls, and door callers

Without a doubt. A lot of us would be out of work for a start. People would feel far more isolated as they wouldn't be able to see real people as this would break the social distancing rule.

There also wouldnt be a stockpiling thread so not so many preppers would be around or aware, I guess the newspapers may trigger that in some though, and share with immediate family but not at this scale.

30 years ago there would be less travel so the virus may have also been better contained.

Good point ginfordinner I imagine lockdown information from the government would come on the TV and radio a bit like in the war but would people adhere to it without the repeated information online

I said this to DS2 (18) yesterday. I said it would have been horrible in the 80s to have lockdown. No internet etc. He said ‘What like in the war?’ so not sure he was listening properly. He did have his PS4 headset on at the time.

Children off school would be more likely to play and learn from activities rather than online learning and games. My own experience of being stuck at home for 6 weeks at 11 with glandular fever in 1976, I remember my mum (who was a teacher so I was lucky depending on how you look at it) I remember doing work she set for me, I appreciate it would be different for others and whilst not isolated, I wasnt allowed to see my friends in case they caught it too.

Yes internet does make it so much easier but 30 years ago we weren’t in an Internet age so people would of just carried on and not known any different.

We rely on the Internet for everything from looking up the news, recipes, paying bills, downloading a film for the dc and in current times it’s great for video calling relatives.

Working from home would have been impossible for many. So yes a lot of people would lose their jobs.

sparklingbrooks - I forgot about PS4 and XBoxes, trying to remember what consoles were around 30 years ago...the old SEGA maybe

p1nkHeartLovesCake - Yes and no Netflix either

@Sparklingbrook I think your ds has a point. During the war, there wasn't even any television. All people had was the radio and newspapers. Post could be censored. Many people didn't have a telephone.
No scaremongering, no tittle-tattle (careless talk costs lives and all that). People managed for 6 years. Rationing didn't end until 1954.

OK, the enemy we currently have is invisible, but they went through a lot more than we are now.

I think it would be easier to live in a bubble for those that want to hide from the constant worry of the virus. When I log on my Laptop I see the news headlines and other concerning infomation jump up for some that would trigger anxiety.

no e-library books, no helping distant people with shopping, no being able to see distant people, no communicating with people on the other side of the world without major organisation...

just a tiny sample of why the internet is an absolute life-saver. Thank you, Tim Berners Lee!

very true somebodyelseinstead The scary thing is the fact this is an invisible enemy, its not like we can call a truce.

Depending on what stats you read somewhere between 25% and 50% of working people are working from home & presuming that the majority of them are doing so by using the internet that would mean up to 15 million people weren’t able to do so right now - so either the lockdown would be impossible or the economy would collapse (more so than it will already!).

We’d definitely play more board games though!

and no MN mencken so people that wanted to gain opinions from people outside of their normal social circle wouldnt be able to gain an insight into how others live or cope and share ideas,

I love board games chipsandgin might be my age, but I grew up playing colditz, monopoly and mousetrap, and loads of card games. I am having a games night tonight with my DD and her BF who is living with us in lockdown, really looking forward to doing something that doesnt involve technology. Although I am sure her BF will have his phone in his hand :)

Definitely. Imagine only having three TV channels as well, no videos or DVD players and not a massive amount of radio stations to choose from.

In the 80s when i couldnt sleep I used to listen to Robbie Vincent on Radio London and LBC phone ins, I would probably find some sort of contact with others by doing that if there was a pandemic back then too