Image Credit: The News Minute
“Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.”
- Sophocles
This Documentary is a Paradox: As disturbing as it is accurate.
Elevator Pitch
I recall the TV being named "idiot box" when I was very little. And this was in the early twenties when cable television was just beginning to make headway into middle-class Indian homes, and parents were frightened of their children falling victim to the small screen.
No wonder these worrisome parents knew little about what would happen in destiny to fry their gen z grandchildren's brains.
Introduction
Title - The Social Dilemma (2020)
Initial release - 26 January 2020
Director - Jeff Orlowski
Genre - Documentary
Written by - Davis Coombe; Vickie Curtis; Jeff Orlowski
Cast - Skyler Gisondo, Tristan Harris, Jaron Lanier, Guillaume Chaslot
The way we live is revolutionized by technology. This has always been the case. We develop new ways of living, new habits, new methods of doing things. But technology is morally neutral, is that correct?
Not that quickly.
The Social Dilemma, a new Netflix documentary, indicates otherwise-especially when it comes to social networks. The intriguing storyline of the film investigates the impact of social media on global society and provides a serious portrayal of how this seemingly harmless technological innovation is more destructive than we may anticipate.
The quantification of recognition on social media takes advantage of our inherent inclination for social comparison to generate an addiction for financial gains. It has the potential to make you an ideal target for advertisers... at the cost of your mental wellbeing and free will.
Plot Overview
Jeff Orlowski's documentary relies upon the premise that something is broken with the way modern technology affects humans. In an interview between former leaders and founders of certain firms as Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, and others, Orlowsky and his film making team illustrate this message
"If you're not paying for the product, you're the product," explained Jaron Lanier as a virtual reality innovator.
Each interviewed insider generated a sense of uneasiness as to how, perhaps unintentionally, social media is weakening relationships, harming young society's mental wellness, and ultimately driving to tribalize and polarise diverse cultures worldwide.
The Social Dilemma explores the unexpected implications of the social media revolution so that we can comprehend how tightly these firms' digital tendrils entangle us. At the heart of the matter is the ethical problem:
“Everything on social media is geared to encourage people to do one thing: keep wasting more time on the devices.”
Social media networks and search engines have grown to focus on every click, swipe, image, data generated which are utilized for two things: to retain users hooked more and more and to monetize it in any manner imaginable.
"We are the product," concluded former Pinterest CEO Tim Kendall. Our attention span is on the product sold to advertisers."
The combination of smartphones and social media with the dramatic increase in teen mental health(including suicide) issues has been recognized increasingly by researchers. This correlation is also explored by The Social Dilemma which suggests that :
"social media starts to ... take on a kid's sense of self-worth and identity."
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| Image Credit: The New York Times |
"The Social Dilemma" poses the most serious question as to whether democracy can withstand the blurring of actual fact and deception in social networks. It may, of course, be that the movie is a chronic malcontent conspiracy itself, but it does have the tone of truth.
"Imagine a world in which nobody believes what is true," says Mr. Harris.
The Family Characters: Were They Relatable?
The entire film had a dramatization of actors enacting a family confronted by the technical problems that were mentioned. These snippets were intercut with the speaking heads of social media professionals, and they helped the film flow quite nicely.
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| Image Credit: ScoopWhoop |
These snippets were beautifully organized and forced me to identify familial and everyday similarities. I noticed connecting to the stories a lot, which highlighted how much these issues touch my daily existence without my realization.
How do we get out of this loop?
Our devices are the first and last thing we see from the moment we get up till we go back to bed. It is impossible to overcome an addiction or obsession entirely at once. You must train your mind and body to only utilize these devices for a limited time, say 3-4 hours a day that too through regular breaks since we're in the new online era.
You can make your kitchen, dining area, and study room net free zones. Stop using your phone when you're spending time with your family. A digital detox is beneficial to both you and your relationships with others.
The Bottom Line
Try to spend time studying something valuable and creative while you spend time on a platform like youtube. Make self-care a priority. Keep an eye on the creative channels. Seek assistance and devote quality time to reading books on a kindle or otherwise audiobooks or whatever.
There are several channels available to assist you in your personal and professional development. Use social media responsibly and don't let the social dilemma capture you so firmly that you can't evacuate.
My ratings for the movie - 5 on 5
Written By - Prakriti Chaudhary
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