This is Not a Drill. Setting Your iPhone to January 1, 1970 Will Kill it

Hoax alert! If you like using your beloved iPhone, do not pay heed to the thousands of tweets, WhatsApp forwards and Facebook status updates telling you to change your phone's date to January 1, 1970.
 

Set your iPhone date back to January 1st 1970 then restart your phone and you get the retro apple boot animation!!!! pic.twitter.com/nmzpJey9MM

- Nico Diamond (@Nicodiamond1c8) February 14, 2016

Sorry, but trying this will only blast (render useless, not blow up) your phone.

Apple has no retro design and any attempt to change the phone's date to 1970 will kill your phone. We repeat, it will kill your phone.

According to BBC, users who tried (successfully, we might add) to turn the clock on their phone hoped it would result in an Easter egg in the form of a 1970s-style multicoloured Apple logo and design. What unfortunately happened was that the phone, when turned off, refused to re-start and displayed the Apple home screen, not budging further.

Interestingly, Apple the company wasn't even formed until 1976. So that could have been a hint to anyone raring to try the "tip". 

For those who still don't believe this, read the words from the horse's mouth below. Apple has not only confirmed the bug, but has reassured that they are working on a software update to prevent this issue. You can, in the meantime, take your phone to the Apple support centres to restore it to its former beauty.
 
And if you want still more proof, take a look at the tweets below. The struggle is real, people.
 

So yesterday I fell for the 1970 iPhone hoax. Resulted in tears and two trips to the Apple Store to then finally get my phone fixed

- // Livia // (@DontUMind_Healy) February 18, 2016

Apple says changing your iPhone's date to January 1, 1970 will disable it. Which is why no one could use iPhones in 1970.

- Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral) February 17, 2016

You look like the sort of person who should set their iPhone to Jan. 1, 1970 and reboot before walking into the Apple Store with "demands."

- not Jony Ive (@JonyIveParody) February 14, 2016

Well, I listened to a facebook post on a "cool" setting that "apple" made for everyone if they set their year to 1970... Phone wont turn on

- Marky Mark (@MarkEWoolsey) February 14, 2016

Do NOT set your iOS device's date to January 1st, 1970. It'll break your phone to the point where you have to bring it to Apple. 

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- Sean (@Sean_MCPE) February 13, 2016