OTT Review: The Social Dilemma

The Social Dilemma is a documentary that sounds the alarm about the incursion of data mining and manipulative technology into the age of social media. The facts and dark secrets behind social media platforms will leave you surprised and horrified at how we have all become lab rats in the world of the internet.

Expert documentary filmmaker Jeff Orlowski exposes the intricacies of the subject in a way that even the layman can understand the dangers of social media. He used terms like magic and manipulation to explain the complex issues involved in the topic under discussion. The way this documentary tells us what is behind building a social media platform to keep the “user” on the website longer is masterful.

The director doesn’t just give us the details with interviews of former tech masters but tells us about the impact of social media through a fictionalized story of a middle-class family. A teenage girl posts a photo on her Instagram page that gets hardly any likes. Disappointed, she deletes the photo and adds so many filters to her next photo which gets instant responses from her followers. One of the comments says something about her ears and she is depressed by the way her ears look. Social media is not just for connecting with people, it will also create depression when people start comparing themselves to others in terms of appearance or status.

Another major problem is influencing the user’s mind through clickbait videos and content in the form of “recommended videos”. The director takes cinematic liberty to show how artificial intelligence targets an individual to trick them into watching videos and continuing to browse the site for hours together. Such things cannot be explained in documentary style, which is why the director uses a separate track to show how teenagers and their families are affected by this “targeted marketing” and addictive measures to keep us in line all the time. time.

All of these facts are brought to light by ancient tech masterminds who invented things like the “like button” on Facebook. Some of them have revealed how they themselves have fallen into their own trap and become addicted to various aspects of the internet. They even confessed that they couldn’t spend time with the kids because of it. They realized the impact of social media on life and quit their jobs out of conscience.

The best thing about this documentary is that it creates no harm from social media. He also talks about the positive aspects. However, he urges users to reduce social media usage and turn off notifications and does not let him take control over us. It asks us not to click on recommended videos and minimize internet usage. Most of those interviewed said they would not let their children become addicted. This documentary is a wake-up call for anyone who doesn’t see the big picture and the greater harm technology is doing to us.

I wish someone would make a fiction film covering these facts as it will have a bigger impact and raise awareness among the masses. For anyone with access to Netflix, you need to watch this documentary with teens so it helps at least a few people get out of this trap. This documentary is streaming on Netflix, which immediately recommended another video shortly after this video ended. Do you see the irony in that?

In summary: a must watch!