‘Social Dilemma’ is a 2020 American docudrama directed by Jeff Orlowski and written
by Orlowski, Davis Coombe, and Vickie Curtis. The film explores the rise of social media
and the damage it has caused to society, focusing on its exploitation of its users for
financial gain through surveillance capitalism and data mining, how its design is meant
to nurture an addiction, its use in politics, its impact on mental health (including the
mental health of adolescents and rising teen suicide rates), and its role in
spreading conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate and aiding groups such
as flat-earthers
Okay so we are being manipulated,
controlled and being watched. Point noted. So now
what? Within a month or two everybody will have watched the movie ‘Social Dilemma’.
A few may delete their social media accounts and there will be endless discussions on
the pros and cons of social media usage. But the question would still remain, ‘Now
what?’.
Why are we watching this movie in the first place ? do we actually want to know what
the movie has to say? Or are we afraid that when all our friends talk about this movie,
we would be left out from the conversation? Two things could happen once you finish
watching the documentary. One, you might want to smash your phone against the wall,
and second, you may shake your head at the sheer helplessness that will permeate every sense of your being.
Before the arrival of social media, there were two kinds of people. The ones that
became famous and successful through struggles and hard work and the ones that
appreciated such people. The makers of the social media, however realized that amidst
the ones who stood in the wings and applauded, there were many who themselves
wanted to be applauded and celebrated. The social media / tech industry understood
this inherent, deep rooted desire of the human mind, to be validated and appreciated.
They exploited this weakness to expand and grow into a global multi billion dollar
industry. The ‘like’ button, which was supposed to allow you to stay connected to the
world and update you about what was happening in the life of your loved ones,
somehow became a measure of your worthiness. We all started pursuing the three R’s-
Reward Recognition and Result
The anticipation of the reward, along with the pain of not having the reward
occasionally, causes the release of dopamine in your brain, also known as the
dopaminergic drive. Dopamine is a molecule that makes you seek the state of pleasure
even more. This leads you to engage in behavior like scrolling next on every news item,
refreshing your timeline, and repeatedly viewing posts of yourself to track the amount
of likes and comments received. The more you scroll, the more dopamine, or rewarding
transmission, is generated.
The first stage of a problem is in recognizing it. The second stage is to find solutions.
This documentary has presented us with the problems of social media culture and
technology. Rather than discussing about the quality of the film or ruminating over the
existing challenges posed by social media, we must focus on finding solutions to address
the issues. The responsibility of finding solutions does not rest with the tech industries
alone. In fact the solutions should not come from them. Right from the beginning to the
end, the film discusses about how the internet is monitoring and controlling every
moment of our lives. But what perplexed me was the fact that how could an intelligent
mind that created this brilliant technology, allow itself to be overpowered by its own
creation ?
As long as one continues to be afraid, there will always be people to scare oneself. What
if I am left out of the conversations with my friends, if I don’t stay updated ? If I don’t
chat on whats-app or post photos on Instagram, will I loose my friendships? There are so
many such insecurities that haunt us. The fear of being left behind, of being abandoned if
not up to date…this is the most common fear experienced by most of the social media
users. Ironically, attempts to bring people closer to each other has only succeeded in
further isolating them from one another.
People have become intolerant of criticism. Everyone wants their own space. To be
visible. While rushing to create our own islands of perfection, we are unable to
distinguish our inherent talents and skills and limitations. We believe we can do almost
everything and are hateful towards the persons who offer constructive criticism. We are
unable to truly express ourselves. We have given rise to a culture of fake appreciation.
Everyone is in a rush to become something and everything. Today everyone is a writer
or singer or an actor. In this race we loose a sense of our true self. Social media has given
way to Mediocrity. It is the most simple thing to be oneself. Yet it has become the most
challenging thing for all of us.
Solutions cannot be conceived individually. Only with individual and public support can
we begin to bring about changes. Rather than eradicating the technology or object that is
the problem, it is wiser to correct the attitude and approach that exacerbates the
problem. As long as humans seek external validation for their survival, they will
continue to enslave themselves to some form of validation or the other. Right from an
early age, both at homes and in schools, children must be taught to love, trust and
respect oneself. They must be trained to become confident adults who can identify and
correct their own weaknesses and limitations . Despite its few shortcomings, The Social
Dilemma is a must-watch film, and is one of the more important documentaries made in
2020.
" Technology is a useful servant
but a dangerous master"
- Christian Lous Lange