Just imagine if we turned off the internet?

The oxygen of instant publicity for terrorist  attacks perpetuates this horrific problem – and is likely to continue to do so for the foreseeable future while the internet has us all in its grip. Suppose the European Union were to impose a modern form of curfew by disabling all internet communications in member countries for the next three weeks.

A shocking thought, but, to follow the thought experiment through, what might happen?

Business would slow down to a snails pace, operating in an old style 9-5pm time frame; the stock market would go quiet until the ticker tape was reinstalled by a few quick thinking firms; typing or handwriting a letter and using the postal service would replace email; any analogue FM radio stations still broadcasting would be very popular; going to your local newsagent to buy a printed newspaper to find out what happened yesterday would be the norm (with the added benefit of having some face-to-face real time contact with your neighbours).

European communities would be catapulted back into engaging with their local communities. Local news would be what mattered.

If there is no oxygen of publicity for random terrorist attacks there isn’t much point in carrying them out.

Alison Hackett

Crosthwaite Park East

Dun Laoghaire

Co Dublin