The nationwide service disruption on February 22, 2024, provoked anger among teenagers glued to their cellular devices, delight among anti-cell phone advocates, and anxiety among certain X (formerly Twitter) users about their safety.
Shortly after the outage, individuals quickly turned to X and other social media platforms to express their concerns (probably using their home Wi-Fi).
As Americans woke up to a nationwide service outage on Thursday morning, Leave The World Behind from director Sam Esmail quickly became a social media trend, with many noting the parallels between the film and reality.
This apocalyptic psychological thriller, based on Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel, features Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon as they deal with a rapid breakdown in phones, television, and other technology, hinting at a potential cataclysm.
“Honestly, I thought my Mom forgot to pay the bills. I couldn’t text anyone, including my family, friends, and girlfriend. I could not access the internet without the school chromebook” noted senior Aiden Lee.
The situation began with major cell phone providers like AT&T and Verizon experiencing widespread outages, alongside reports of issues with other providers such as Cricket and T-Mobile.
Junior Lily Tobey remarked, “I didn’t lose service, but I also had AT&T. I think that is a bit strange, but I don’t want to think too much about it. I’m just glad I didn’t have any issues.”
iPhone users were particularly alarmed by the SOS symbol on their screens, leading to speculation about the seriousness of the situation. However, this symbol simply indicated a lack of cellular network connection.
“I assumed there was a malfunction. I couldn’t contact anyone and it negatively affected my family because my parents needed service for work,” shared junior Ketrina Bekere.
Despite the concerns and the memes circulating online, AT&T clarified that the outage was due to a software error and not a malicious act by any external party. While the unfolding situation was unsettling, there appears to be no imminent danger. So, we can now take a deep breath, relax, and settle in to stream Leave The World Behind with our restored service.
