News feed
As a writer, my morning routine typically starts by scrolling through Instagram and Facebook for any news (or otherwise) that broke overnight. This morning as I prepared to scroll 10 minutes longer than I should, was drastically cut short when I noticed my ride or die social applications failed to refresh. I rebooted my internet. Check. Then I updated my apps. Check. It wasn’t until I Googled, “Instagram not working” that I realised the social media giant was experiencing a worldwide outage.
Below is an accurate depiction of my morning.
Two hours later, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook still down#instagramdown #whatsappdown #facebookdown pic.twitter.com/IlIyUFsvoG
— Benji (@Cule_Ben) October 4, 2021
The reason behind the outage is unclear, but according to the Sydney Morning Herald it is very rare on a global scale. The news broke shortly after a whistleblower Frances Haugen – who accuses the company of failing to protect its users – handed internal research to US lawmakers and the Wall Street Journal. The findings suggest Facebook knew, but didn’t disclose, the negative impact of its services. She is a former product manager for the company.
Naturally the social media app Twitter, which is owned by Snapchat Inc., revelled in the tech difficulties. Users-turned-comedians flocked to the service and published reactions and memes surrounding the news. And for Instagram fans, it filled a social media-shaped void.
Squid Game was a popular theme of choice (if you haven’t watched the series and have a strong stomach, it’s good!) while some users decided to post throwback images to old technology like the landline phone and first desktop computers. How would Gen Z-ers even communicate without Facebook and WhatsApp?
For many, the three popular apps have now been restored after a lengthy six hours. Below, enjoy our compilation of the best Twitter reactions from the whole debacle. You’re welcome.
#internetdown #instagramdown #facebookdown every twitter user trying to figure out why the internet is down:
*including myself* pic.twitter.com/gUp1jJepJo
— ☻𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆☻🐇 (@supermarn09) October 4, 2021
Facebook, lol. This bad boy has never let me down… #facebookdown pic.twitter.com/OZsmdi6LHg
— MAHONEY (@cdtmahoney) October 4, 2021
The current situation in the world right now
#facebookdown pic.twitter.com/QPiJUqZY5s
— Ali vaqas (@Alivakas11Ali) October 4, 2021
Facebook is down. Quick, get your aunts and uncles vaccinated
— Cam (@cameron_kasky) October 4, 2021
Me outside like
#facebookdown #WhatsApp #InternetShutDown pic.twitter.com/ZJ1QChdAkr— Kate (@Kate_d_devil) October 4, 2021
Hotmail and Gmail waiting for twitter go down as well. pic.twitter.com/uIqzNUGhK1
— ella (@watchingdizis) October 4, 2021
You know, Shakespeare wrote King Lear during the plague. what are you gonna produce while Instagram is down??
— Allison P Davis (@AllisonPDavis) October 4, 2021
me trying to get in contact with people with WhatsApp down pic.twitter.com/cciMdyfIaV
— Sophie Hall-oween 🎃 (@SophLouiseHall) October 4, 2021
Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook down.
People who don't have Snapchat or Twitter:#instagramdown #facebookdown #WhatsApppic.twitter.com/31XVAh2Umr— Benji (@Cule_Ben) October 4, 2021
Instagram influencers after not being able to share their daily skin routine with their followers #facebookdown #instagramdown pic.twitter.com/OOPkh7L0xN
— Malék Soussi (@malek_soussii) October 4, 2021
Twitter holding social media after whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook went down…… pic.twitter.com/Y6wtW4c9qY
— Plo Sigei (@PloSigei) October 4, 2021
#facebookdown #instagramdown
facebook, messenger and instagram finally working after being down for hours pic.twitter.com/LYYtpKpW5P— nyxie (@lynxtiel) October 4, 2021