Jeff Orlowski’s documentary is definitely the one documentary you don’t want to miss watching. The documentary tells about how the use of social media and search engines is eroding the social fabric of society and what needs to be done to stop it. The document was debuted at the Sundance film festival in January and is now is available on Netflix with few updates.
Just like the global warming and climate change impending crisis, the social dilemma brings our attention to the harm the social media companies are doing to societies. For the purpose, the documentary includes the reviews of former senior employees from tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Instagram.
The documentary looks at a number of ways how these tech giants are manipulating our minds for their own profits. The documentary features people who help build these tech giants but now after realization wants us to save from it.
Where is the problem exactly?
As a complicated relationship status option on Facebook, the answer to this question is quite not easy. The problem with these social media platforms in their business model and how they are manipulating the users and playing with their brain psychology and emotions are not only harmful to the individual but is a bigger threat to society. These platforms are causing polarization in societies that are fueling hatred among people against each other.
What is the Solution?
According to the documentary interviewees, things will not change quietly unless there is massive public pressure. They call people for voicing their opinions, have an open conversation even through the very technologies under discussion. They advise people to turn off the notifications of these social media platforms and don’t allow cookies to be used by websites. They ask for don’t click on the recommendations given to you by these websites as through these recommendations the artificial intelligence makes the pattern and knows more about you. In the end, they tell the viewers to always fact check before sharing anything on social media. And request viewers to limit the screen time for kids.
The running time of the documentary is 1 hour and 34 minutes. It is rated as PG13 and is available on Netflix.
Tell us what do you think about the concerns voiced about social media in this documentary in the comments.
