Pausing Facetime: The Unexpected Consequences of a Viral Attempt

On February 24th, 2020, an Instagrammer's attempt at creating internet fame backfired spectacularly when he jokingly suggested on FaceTime that he might have contracted coronavirus while onboard a plane. Little did he know that his ligh-hearted comment would trigger a chain of events culminating in the flight being diverted for an emergency landing and ultimately leading to his own arrest.

The incident highlights just how easily seemingly innocuous actions can snowball into full-blown crises, especially when technology is involved. In this case, what began as a misguided attempt at viral stardom ended up disrupting not only one person's day but also that of dozens of fellow passengers on board the plane.

Facetime Paused: How an iPhone Update Brought Entertainment to Long Flights

Just days prior, Apple had rolled out an update for iPhones (February 10th), introducing a feature allowing users to multitask during FaceTime calls. With this new functionality in place, Facetime users could now talk on the popular video conferencing platform while simultaneously enjoying their favorite TV shows and movies or even jamming out to music.

The prospect of being able to socialize with friends and family without having to pause an engaging movie or game was certainly appealing – especially for frequent flyers who often found themselves stuck in economy seats staring blankly at a screen. However, as Apple itself would later confirm through its partnership announcements (February 24th), this feature had only just begun to scratch the surface of what's possible.

With SharePlay on board (pun intended), iPhone owners could soon look forward to even more exciting features being added to their FaceTime experience – including watching NBA games together, experiencing TikTok videos in real-time with friends and family who aren't nearby, or simply enjoying a fun movie night from the comfort of your own home.

As we all know though, with great power comes great responsibility. In this case, it seems that even something as seemingly innocuous as making light about having coronavirus on Facetime can have far-reaching consequences – especially when millions are watching online and waiting for their next dose of entertainment news to break through the digital noise.

So remember folks: before you hit send or share a joke with your friends and family via FaceTime, take just a moment to think twice. You never know who might be listening (or in this case, stuck on an emergency landing due to someone else's carelessness).

Paused facetime