Residents of flood-ravaged Henan Province in China have had their digital-orientated lifestyles disrupted by widespread power outages. Due to a prevalence of online payment apps, outages in the city of Zhengzhou have interfered with many citizens’ daily activities, such as ordering food and access to other necessities. Many aspects of daily life for Chinese people is integrated with their smartphones. Consumers of all ages and walks of life primarily pay for products and services with their phones through the use of domestically developed apps tied to their bank accounts. With smartphone internet connections shut down, citizens in Zhengzhou have been badly hampered in managing their financial activities. A viral article posted to Chinese social media on July 22, titled “Post-Disaster Zhengzhou: When a City Suddenly Loses the Internet,” detailed sharp changes in the spending behavior of the city’s inhabitants. Some businesses could handle cash transactions while others had to revert to …