Credit: This simulated global disaster scenario is adapted from a recent closed-door survival course, which explored the possibilities of global catastrophes such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or even world war. My gratitude goes especially to buddies from the national and international cyber-intelligence units (retired operatives), as well as the many other contributors who helped shape this scenario. The content of this article has been modified to ensure that sensitive elements related to national security are not disclosed.
Disclaimer: This is a fictional scenario created for illustrative and educational purposes only. It is not a prediction of future events.
A. SOMETHING TO THINK OF
This is a thought-provoking scenario and one that’s been the subject of real-world studies, cyber-wargames, and even sci-fi plots. If the global internet experienced a major meltdown, the impact would ripple through almost every layer of society, because we’ve built so much reliance on it.
Those of us born in the 60s and 70s would likely manage and survive through the manual way of life. But for the later generations, adapting to such a lifestyle would be far more challenging.
1. Immediate Disruptions
Communication blackout: Messaging apps, email, social media, video calls, live streaming all would fail. People would revert to SMS, landlines, or even radio if available,
Financial chaos: Online banking, stock exchanges, cryptocurrency, and payment systems (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, QR codes) would grind to a halt. Cash would suddenly become king again,
Transport and Logistics: Airlines, shipping, ride-hailing apps, and GPS-dependent navigation would struggle. Ports and airports rely on cloud-based systems.
2. Critical Infrastructure Risks
Energy and Utilities: Many grids use internet-linked control systems (SCADA). A meltdown could cause blackouts, water supply issues, or even safety hazards if not managed manually,
Healthcare: Hospitals rely on connected systems for patient records, equipment monitoring, and even telemedicine. Disconnection could delay care,
Emergency services: Coordination between police, fire, and rescue would be slower, relying on radio or satellite systems as backup.
3. Economic Shock
Stock markets would freeze, potentially triggering panic,
E-commerce and Supply Chains would collapse - no online orders, delays in deliveries, even food distribution could be affected.
Businesses would lose revenue overnight, especially those dependent on cloud apps and SaaS.
4. Social and Political Effects
Misinformation and panic: Without reliable online updates, rumors could spread via word of mouth or traditional media,
Governments might impose emergency measures, from activating national intranets to restricting movements if essential services collapse,
Community resilience: Some regions with strong offline networks (local markets, radio, printed media) would adapt better than highly digitalized societies.
5. Fallback Systems
At least not everything relies 100% on the public internet.
Military, aviation, and shipping often have separate satellite or closed-network communications,
Ham radio and shortwave communities could regain importance.
Local intranets (like China’s Great Firewall or corporate private networks) might continue functioning internally
B. RETURN OF MANUAL TRANSACTION
Manual transactions would almost certainly resume, because people and businesses can’t just stop trading. But the scale and speed would depend on the situation.
1. Cash Becomes King Again
With no online banking, e-wallets, or card swipes, cash would be the most immediate fallback,
ATMs might not work if they require online verification, so whatever cash people have on hand becomes crucial,
Businesses might restrict sales to “cash only” almost immediately.
2. Paper and Pen Transactions
Shops and banks could revert to paper ledgers, issuing handwritten receipts and recording sales manually,
Credit card “zip-zap” imprinters (the old carbon-copy machines) could even make a comeback in some places.
Businesses might allow “buy now, pay later” with trust-based accounts for familiar customers.
3. Local Trade and Barter
Small communities may rely on barter if cash circulation is limited - trading goods (like rice, petrol, medicine) directly,
Informal IOUs or community-issued vouchers could emerge in tightly knit groups,
4. Government and Institutional Response
Central banks may instruct businesses to use manual clearing systems until digital systems are restored,
Banks might set up manual counters for deposits/withdrawals using offline verification,
Large companies (e.g., supermarkets) could adopt rationing to avoid hoarding and shortages.
5. Challenges
Fraud and mistakes would increase without automated verification,
International trade would suffer most, since cross-border transactions are almost entirely digital,
Urban areas would struggle more than rural ones, since rural economies often still handle more cash-based or informal trade.
C. SOLAR
Those using solar energy would find themselves in a very different position during an internet meltdown. They had have power security when others might struggle, but the picture isn’t entirely rosy.
1. The Big Advantage - Independent Power
Homes and businesses with solar panels + batteries would still have electricity when the grid falters. This means lights, refrigeration, and communication devices could keep running.
In areas facing blackouts (since many power grids are internet-controlled), solar-powered homes would become neighborhood hubs.
2. The Catch - Digital Dependence
Many modern solar systems use cloud-based monitoring apps (to check output, battery status, or sell excess power back to the grid). These would go offline,
Smart inverters or IoT-linked home energy management tools may not work properly without internet,
Off-grid or hybrid systems (with manual switches) would perform best.
3. Manual Adaptation
Solar users would need to check battery levels manually on the inverter screen.
They might disconnect from the grid entirely and run in island mode, prioritizing essential loads (fridge, lights, fans, pumps),
Communities could share solar power - one house with panels might charge neighbors’ phones or batteries in exchange for food or cash.
D. TELEVISION AND MEDIA
If the internet went dark globally, TV would almost certainly fall back to manual aerials and traditional broadcast signals.
Here’s how that plays out.
1. Traditional Broadcast Makes a Comeback
TV stations still have terrestrial transmitters that broadcast over the air, independent of the internet,
People would dust off old UHF/VHF antennas (the “rabbit ears” or rooftop aerials) to catch local news,
Analog-style viewing would surge again because smart TVs relying on streaming apps (Netflix, YouTube, Astro Go, etc.) would be useless.
2. Radio Becomes Crucial
FM/AM radios (battery-powered, car radios, shortwave) would once again be lifelines for updates,
Governments might instruct people to tune into designated emergency frequencies.
3. Satellite TV Survives… With Limits
DTH (Direct-to-Home) satellite TV like Astro in Malaysia could still work, since satellites don’t depend on the public internet.
But on-demand services (cloud-based recordings, streaming add-ons) would fail. Only live broadcast channels would continue.
4. Cultural Shift
Families would gather around one TV again, watching whatever was broadcast just like in the 70s–90s,
News anchors would regain authority as the main source of information, instead of Twitter, TikTok, or Telegram,
Printed newspapers might see a sudden revival too.
E. CONCLUSION
(Those of us born in the 60s and 70s would likely manage and survive through the manual way of life. But for the later generations, adapting to such a lifestyle would be far more challenging.)
It wouldn’t be “the end of the world,” but it would feel like a global reset. Civilization would adapt, but the shock would expose just how fragile our reliance on the internet has become. Some countries would recover faster depending on how strong their offline resilience and infrastructure backups are.
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