Surviving a Day in SOS Mode: Lessons from a Verizon Outage

When Your Life Goes “SOS Mode”: A Day Without Verizon & My Descent Into Digital Chaos

It’s 9 a.m. The birds are chirping, the coffee’s brewing, and I’m gearing up for a productive day when BAM—my phone decides to take an unexpected vacation. That’s right, folks. No calls, no texts, no internet. Just me, a blank screen, and that ominous little icon in the corner: SOS Mode.

Welcome to the Verizon Outage of 2024, where your phone is reduced to a glorified calculator and flashlight. 🫠

The Great Phone Apocalypse: A Lesson in Dependency

Let me be honest here. I didn’t realize how deeply I depended on my phone until it betrayed me this morning. I mean, I’ve always thought of myself as an “independent woman” who just happens to love her phone a little too much. But take that baby away for a few hours, and suddenly I’m walking around like I’ve lost a limb.

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First off, let’s talk about two-factor authentication. Because, apparently, I can’t check my email, log into my bank, or even order food without being asked for a verification code sent to my now useless phone. Every app, every website, every password reset—it’s like the universe is saying, “Oh, you want to access your life? LOL, good luck with that.”

And business? Oh, please. Forget answering work emails or jumping on a conference call. I couldn’t even make a grocery list because, let’s be real, who writes things down on paper anymore? The Verizon outage has turned me into a modern-day caveman, grunting at my phone like it’ll magically work if I give it a good hard stare. Spoiler: it didn’t.

SOS Mode: The Most Useless Feature You Never Knew You Had

So, about that SOS Mode. If you’ve never seen it, let me paint a picture. It’s that tiny symbol in the corner of your screen that says, “Hey, I see you’re in the middle of a complete digital meltdown, but don’t worry—you can still call 911!” Fantastic. I can’t log into Instagram or contact my mom, but if I need an ambulance, we’re good. 🙃

Don’t get me wrong—being able to call for help in an emergency is great. But let’s be real here: when your entire phone’s functionality is reduced to SOS, you’re pretty much left wandering the wilderness of modern life without a map. SOS Mode is like having a spare tire made of bubblegum—nice idea, but it’s not gonna get you very far.

Verizon, Can We Talk?

Listen, Verizon. We need to have a chat. This is 2024. I can buy a car online, order a burrito with a single tap, and binge-watch entire seasons of Bridgerton on my phone. So why, in the name of all that is holy, do you not have a back-up plan for a major outage? 🤯

Millions of people rely on you for, you know, living. You are the gatekeeper of modern communication, the bridge between me and my memes. When your service goes down, entire chunks of the population are left staring at their phones like cavemen discovering fire.

Do you see the problem here?

We depend on our phones for EVERYTHING—work, socializing, paying bills, pretending to be productive while secretly doom-scrolling. When Verizon decides to take a break, it’s like hitting the “pause” button on life itself. And I don’t mean the kind of break where you relax with a latte and a book. I’m talking “stuck-in-a-limbo-of-no-service” kind of break.

Verizon, You Gotta Do Better

You can’t just drop service for hours and expect us to go, “Oh, no big deal.” It is a big deal. We need a back-up plan that doesn’t involve a mass exodus to the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot like it’s the Oregon Trail.

Here’s the thing: If I, an average phone-addicted citizen, can figure out that you need a contingency plan, you—multibillion-dollar telecom giant—should already have one in place. Let’s get some redundancy systems going. Have an emergency cloud, a satellite, a team of carrier pigeons—something so that millions of people aren’t left staring at their phones, pondering the meaning of life, every time you have a technical hiccup.

Also, while we’re at it, how about some bill credits? My phone’s been out for hours. That’s hours of no service, no productivity, no access to my Netflix queue. If I have to live without my digital crutch, the least you can do is cut me a break on my bill this month. Maybe throw in a free month of Disney+ for the trouble. 🙏

What to Do When Your Phone Goes MIA (Because Apparently, It Happens)

Okay, let’s get practical for a second. If you’re reading this post while your phone is currently stuck in SOS mode, breathe. There are a few things you can do to get through the tech apocalypse without completely losing your mind:

1. Find Wi-Fi: Seriously, this is the #1 priority. Locate the nearest coffee shop, library, or generous neighbor with unsecured internet. It’s like water in the desert.
2. Use Messaging Apps: Once you’ve found Wi-Fi, switch to apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or even old-school email to communicate with the outside world. Bonus: you can now look productive at work while actually messaging your bestie about this whole ordeal.
3. Borrow a Friend’s Phone: If you’ve still got that one friend clinging to a different carrier (hello, AT&T users), now’s the time to make nice. Call anyone you need to via their phone and resist the urge to switch carriers out of spite.
4. Revisit 2005: Remember when phones were just for, you know, making calls? Maybe use this time to reconnect with that ancient relic called a landline. Or dust off your laptop and catch up on those unread emails. It’s a digital detox… kind of.
5. Go Outside: Shocking, I know, but the world still exists beyond your phone. Take a walk, grab a coffee, or just people-watch. You might remember that life’s not all about scrolling… but also, you’ll probably just wish your phone was working.
6. Meditate on Life’s Meaning: Just kidding, you’ll probably spend 90% of the time wondering how you lived pre-smartphone. But hey, maybe the Verizon outage is the universe’s way of telling you to slow down and look up from your screen. (Or, you know, find a stronger Wi-Fi signal.)

Final Thoughts: Verizon, We’re Not Mad—We’re Just Disappointed

Verizon, we know you’ve got the goods. You’ve been there for us in times of need—whether it’s making last-minute dinner reservations, answering frantic work emails, or showing us cat memes at midnight. But today? Today, you let us down. Big time.

We don’t ask for much, Verizon—just seamless, uninterrupted service and a world where SOS mode is never necessary. Is that too much to ask? Probably not, considering we live in an era where my refrigerator can remind me to buy milk. So do better. For all of us.

And, hey, while you’re at it—don’t forget about that bill credit. You owe us a solid for this one. 🫡

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Dorey Duncan Scott Senior Litigation Paralegal

Hi! I’m Dorey Duncan Scott, a mother of three, wife and fashion entrepreneur. I started my career in fashion back in the early 90’s when I did print, still and runway modeling. I studied Fashion Merchandising, Music Business and Marketing, while also obtaining certificates in such industry-necessary areas such as make-up, styling and runway choreography. In addition, I had work as a spokesmodel for several brands, appearing in print and in person. As a former model, turned senior litigation paralegal, artist manager and on-air personality with a passion for fashion, beauty, and personal development, I bring a unique combination of style, strategic thinking, and legal expertise to my work. My years navigating the legal world have sharpened my attention to detail, while my experience and passion for fashion, beauty, and personal development drives my desire to help others feel empowered and help them in their journey toward self-empowerment. My experience in the fashion world has taught me the power of confidence. 

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