Netflix's 'The Social Dilemma': A Compelling and Taut Documentary

Source: Netflix

A new documentary about our digital lives, directed by Jeff Orlowski, The Social Dilemma throws light on the impact of smartphones and social media platforms on human behavior.

Social media being addictive and awful isn’t a new revelation to anyone who uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like. This film explains that the adverse effect of social networking platforms is a feature, not a bug. 

They claim that the manipulation of human behavior for profit is embedded into these corporations with devious accuracy: Infinite scrolling and push notifications keep users constantly engaged; personalized recommendations use data not just to predict but also to influence our actions, turning users into easy prey for advertisers and propagandists.

The documentary and drama elements unite to convey the sheer range of the problems posed by social media – something that has the potential to overthrow governments, obstruct the very foundation of society, and undermine democracies through manipulation and misinformation. 

The film is a reality check on how governments can weaponize social media and how, in the wrong hands, it can be a powerful tool for brutality.

The Social Dilemma proves to be a captivating watch not in the view of having something exceptionally new to say, but because of how it successfully emphasizes a threat that has been largely written about. 

While there are the usual suspects – monitoring, data collection, fake news – the documentary unfolds the limit to which human psychology is being exploited through algorithms and artificial intelligence. AI is already driving our lives, the film hints, in ways that are so subtle as to have escaped our attention. 


10 Things You Can Do After Watching ‘The Social Dilemma' 

1. Turn off the Notifications

Turning off social media notifications is precisely the first thing you should do. In The Social Dilemma, they explain how notifications have become a tool to increase activity and keep you unnecessarily engaged.

2. 
Declutter Your Social Media Feeds

The Social Dilemma offers a great point on how much excess data is out there. It demonstrates that, while the information available might have increased in the past couple of decades, our brain's capacity to process the same has not. 

Decluttering is a huge step. Do you need to follow all these influencers and content creators on social media? Do you need to absorb Facebook life updates from people you met once 3 years ago? Not at all. 

3. Quit Doomscrolling!

The Social Dilemma demonstrates the disadvantage of never-ending scrolling, that you end up spending hours just scrolling on various social media apps. With thousands of friends on Facebook and content creators on Instagram, there's no natural way for content to get exhausted.

Now, considering the times we're living in, it's very easy for this 'scrolling' to turn into 'doomscrolling.' Unpleasant news is all over the place but you just can't stop scrolling. 

4. Forget Data, You Need to Start Worrying About Your Attention

“If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.” — The Social Dilemma.

Data leak scandals like the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica have been a part of mainstream discussion, making it easier to assume that Big Tech is all about our personal data and preferences. 

This documentary will make you realize that that's not it. More than your data, these corporations are rivaling for your attention - which is limited. At the end of the day, your attention is the product being sold to advertisers.
 
5. Stop Looking at Your Phone First Thing in the Morning

The ex-Big Tech employees in The Social Dilemma talk about how they allow their children limited social media/screen time. 

You're fighting a conflict against the cravings of your brain — which isn't a simple battle to conquer. So, quit checking your phones right after waking up like a ritual if you want to dodge priming your brain for distraction. 

6. Start CHOOSING Your YouTube Videos

The Social Dilemma makes it clear that in order to gain control of the kind of content we are exposed to, we need to *choose* it. The easiest way? Don't click on video suggestions.

The horrifying truth of today is that the algorithms that run these social platforms have advanced into a perception of their own and they observe our activity very closely. To steer clear of getting absorbed into that echo chamber, you need to manually search for what you want, instead of allowing the algorithms to dictate our opinions and thoughts. 

7. Try to Get a Hobby That's Not on Your Phone

This one's hard as hell, especially in a world where COVID-19 exists because our phone screen is literally all we have right now. But The Social Dilemma will convince you to give this another chance. If you are engaged in an activity that's not on your phone, you can automatically keep the distance.

8. Fact Check. 

Source: Twitter/ @Nepali_SRK 

It was pleasantly surprising to watch the docudrama address how widespread fake news is. We all know it exists but The Social Dilemma depicts how these algorithms assist the spread of misinformation. The documentary doesn't explore fake news as a modern-day commodity because it's not about that. 

The Social Dilemma is simply a reminder or more like an eye-opener that it's essential to check the facts of the things we see on the internet. Just because it's on the internet, doesn't mean it's true.

Google might have all the answers, but not necessarily the right answers. Objective truth gets lost easily in a universe loaded with conspiracy theories and entertainment. So let's start by fact-checking things before we hit that like/retweet/share/forward button? 

9. Get People Around You to Watch It

Source: Twitter/ @Nepali_SRK

We have all been victim to social media regardless of age. This includes one's parents and you should get them to watch this documentary too because to put it simply, it's important they realize the dangers of social media.

10. You Don't Have to Delete Social Media

Source: Twitter/@absoluteburhan

Not gonna lie, The Social Dilemma can be a petrifying watch if you've never encountered these ideas before. Just like the interviewees in the film, it's crucial to note that social media isn't all evil. It didn't commence as a weapon of destruction. It's the business models behind Big Tech that make it so damaging.

Nonetheless, it is notably effective in setting off the alarm about the invasion of data and manipulative technology within our social lives and beyond. However, the film itself is not excused by the phenomenon it scrutinizes. The documentary is streaming on Netflix, where it’ll become another node in the service’s data-based algorithm.

Lastly, we can’t change Big Tech overnight. All one can do is protect yourselves by starting small. Fight the social dilemma conflicts you need to and carry on.

Written by - Anusha Vajha

Edited by - Adrija Saha