As furloughed federal workers and their families shared stories of their hardships, such as not being able to meet rent or mortgage payments and missed bills, the hashtag "#ShutdownStories" went viral on social media.
Setelah para pegawai federal dan keluarganya berbagi cerita tentang kesulitan ekonomi saat Natal, misalnya tidak bisa membayar sewa atau cicilan dan menunggak tagihan, tagar "#ShutdownStories" merebak di media sosial.