Netflix Outage in US Sparks Vibrant Response From Social Media

By Michael Hein

Netflix went down in places all over the world on Wednesday, throwing a wrench into many people's coronavirus self-isolation plans. The tracking site DownDetector showed widespread reports of Netflix outages on Wednesday, particularly in the U.S. With tensions already running high, many panicked viewers vented their frustration on social media.

The internet is a crowded place these days, as thousands of people all over the world are wiling away the coronavirus pandemic online. Some companies have already begun reaction to the increased web traffic, such as YouTube's move to make all videos default to SD, saving bandwidth. On Wednesday, some kind of issue put Netflix down for the count for some, causing an outburst of fear on social media.

Users rushed to Twitter to ask if others were having problems with Netflix like they were. Some were outraged, feeling that this was the last straw in a moment of chaos. Others took the news more easily, trusting that it would pass.

Here is a look at what Twitter had to say when Netflix went down on Wednesday.

'Apocalypse'

After everything else that has happened recently, some joked that this Netflix issue was just another sign that the end of days was drawing closer. Users shared this view with varying degrees of sarcasm.

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Device Dependent

A few users chimed in saying that outage seemed to effect some devices more than others. Those on computers noted that Netflix was working well on their browsers, but not on their TV devices.

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Alternatives

Some hardly missed a beat with the Netflix outage, transitioning easily to one of their other streaming subscriptions. They noted that they preferred the selection on other sites regardless.

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'Greatest Fears'

Many people made ironic comments about the Netflix outage, comparing it to the more grand issues facing society today. With a global pandemic threatening the lives of millions, they joked that a Netflix outage still ranked among their "greatest fears."

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'Tiger King'

Others were quick to blame a particular show on Netflix for being too good, and drawing in too many viewers at once. For many, that was the recently released Tiger King docu-series, which centers around the magnanimous Joe Exotic.

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'Free Netflix'

A few confused Netflix subscribers went looking for updates about the site on Twitter, and found the hashtag "free Netflix" already trending. They wondered whether the two were related, though in fact they weren't. Users tweeting "free Netflix" were encouraging the company to drop its subscription fee during the coronavirus pandemic, with so many people out of work and stuck at home.

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Parties

Finally, one of the saddest impacts of the Netflix outage on Wednesday was its effect on virtual watching "parties" planned among friends in separate quarantines. Users had made plans to watch a program together in the hopes of getting a little taste of socialization without leaving their homes, but instead found the site malfunctioning.

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