Disaster readiness advice sparks a gadget-buying hobby among friends
Alexandra Shulman describes how emergency-preparedness advice has fuelled a new hobby among her friends: buying safety gadgets and searching online for ways to prepare for disaster. She sees this as a shift from browsing aspirational property listings to dwelling on possible crises, while questioning how much preparation is useful.
The UK government’s “Be Ready” advice asks people to keep three days’ worth of water and supplies at home. Shulman says she has not changed her habits, noting that she already has food, candles and medicines, and might keep some cash in case bank cards stop working. The article also includes brief observations about increasingly revealing Halloween costumes, Alexa Chung’s engagement to Tom Sturridge, and builders finding newspaper inside damaged exterior plasterwork.
In short
- Emergency advice has fuelled interest in disaster-preparation gadgets.
- The government recommends keeping three days of supplies at home.
- Shulman questions the need for elaborate preparations.
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The case for
Keeping a modest household supply of water, food, medicines and other essentials can help people cope with disruptions while emergency services focus on the most urgent needs. The advice may also prompt practical planning and give households some reassurance, especially when supplies are chosen sensibly and used in ordinary rotation.
The case against
Turning preparedness into a gadget-buying hobby can encourage disproportionate worry and spending, while distracting from simple steps that are more likely to be useful. People may reasonably question whether a fixed three-day stockpile suits their circumstances, and whether public advice should avoid making remote crises feel imminent.
Explained simply
The UK government’s “Be Ready” guidance asks households to keep enough water and basic supplies to manage for three days during an emergency. Such advice is intended to help people cope if services or access to shops are disrupted.
Alexandra Shulman describes friends responding by buying safety gadgets and looking online for preparation tips. She says she already keeps some food, candles and medicines at home, and is considering having cash available if bank cards do not work.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “ALEXANDRA SHULMAN’S NOTEBOOK: Apocalypse porn is our new guilty obsession”.