The Internet is gone. That is what Egyptians are currently facing among the other civil unrest that has lead to the country’s large-scale protests, which have hit Cairo hard as the world watches with anticipation to see the outcome of the country’s turmoil.
Although there is no country-wide blackout of the Internet in America, students weighed in on whether such a situation could happen in the United States, and what the response would be.
Katie Cornstubble, freshman in zoology
Do you think the Internet could be shut off in America?
America is too Internet-based for anything like that to happen, or for someone to do that.
What would be your reaction?
I would probably be shocked because you don’t think that something like that, that you see in other countries, could happen here in our own.
Would you expect to see large-scale responses?
Yeah, Americans protest if anything outrageous happens, so I think that with the way things are happening in Egypt, Americans would stand up.
Garrett Stanley, freshman in First Year College
Do you think the Internet could be shut off in America?
I doubt it, because it’s so protected by everybody, including the military and other high-up people like that. It’s very protected.
What would be your reaction?
I would be shocked because I don’t think that we would think something like that could happen here, since we all rely on it so much.
Would you expect to see large-scale responses?
Probably riots and stuff. I’d expect to see people rioting around the White House or something. I think it could get violent because people would all be out of jobs, and there would just be general anger.
John Durham, sophomore in First Year College
Do you think the Internet could be shut off in America?
No, never. This is the United States and we’re all about freedom of speech and free rights. There’s no way Americans as a whole population would let that happen.
What would be your reaction?
I’d be like, “what am I supposed to do now?” Daily life would change, especially for the girls who can’t get on Facebook. And the e-mail and the jobs that are all online would be gone.
Would you expect to see large-scale responses?
Yes, very large-scale — probably one of the biggest protests ever in our country’s history. I would expect to see riots at every college campus and high school, and at large corporations and businesses who use computers, and international businesses and all that.
Josh Robinson, freshman in sociology
Do you think the Internet could be shut off in America?
I definitely think it could be because we have to keep in mind that we are living in the final days. God is coming and people function off of technology so it was only a matter of time.
What would be your reaction?
It wouldn’t shock me. Like I said, it was only a matter of time because we are living in the final days. It wouldn’t shock me at all.
Would you expect to see large-scale responses?
Well, it depends. If it was shut down, there wouldn’t be anyone to get mad at so who could protest if the Internet simply shut down on its own? If it was shut off then I think people would be mad. I think younger kids, like our generation, would protest more than older people.
Ashleigh Griffin, freshman in psychology
Do you think the Internet could be shut off in America?
It could be shut down because I feel like everything is somehow controlled. If it was for our safety, like, as Americans, then I definitely think it could be shut off.
What would be your reaction?
I would be afraid that something was happening. I’d probably check the television to make sure that everything was OK and to see what was going on.
Would you expect to see large-scale responses?
Oh yeah, there would definitely be a response. This is America, and I think that people would feel like their freedoms were being taken away if something like this ever happened.
Chris Hill, a junior in biochemistry
Do you think the Internet could be shut off in America?
I think it could happen in theory, but it would be very different because we have so many different [Internet Service Providers] and the Internet here is not as centralized as it is in Egypt.
