Want to Watch "The Social Dilemma" But You Cancelled Netflix?
Netflix has become the go-to place for streaming entertainment. As you have probably seen, there is plenty of good and bad on the site.
When they hosted the film “Cuties,” many families cancelled their subscription to Netflix in protest. I wrote about the content found in the Cuties HERE so I totally get that response.
Unfortunately, “The Social Dilemma” was released a few days later, and many people on your Facebook feed are describing it as “must see TV.” I agree with them. Anyone will benefit from watching this documentary about how social media is changing us.
If you’re one of those folks who cancelled Netflix and now can’t watch “The Social Dilemma” then you’re in luck. The good folks over at START: Stand Together and Rethink Technology are hosting an online screening on October 3. More on that in a minute.
What is “The Social Dilemma” About?
It is a documentary told through a unique dramatic narrative that is pretty darn engaging. Most of the talking heads are insiders from some of the most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. They give an insider’s view of how technology has changed….and is changing us.
Act One: You Are The Product. Advertisers are the Consumer.
The first act is about how the tech industry has changed over the past 10 years. The insiders have a lot to say:
“The first 50 years of Silicon Valley, the industry made products – hardware, software, sold them to customers. Nice, simple business. For the last ten years, the biggest companies in Silicon Valley have been in the business of selling their users.” - Roger McNamee
The social media platforms we love to use are literally manipulating us for profit. These companies are using us.
“It’s a little trite to say now, but because we don’t pay for the products that we use, advertisers pay for the products that we use. Advertisers are the customers. We are the thing being sold.” -Aza Raskin
“The classic saying is: “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.” - Tristan Harris
Given how they push content our way, the potential for addiction is very high (pun intended).
“There are only two industries that call their customers “users”: illegal drugs and software.” – Edward Tufte
Act Two: Social Media Has a Real Impact on Our Souls.
The second act of the movie makes a solid argument for how social media interactions are negatively affecting our lives.
Make no mistake: social media use is devastating an entire generation. It’s the comparison trap, the need to be perfect, and the constant reminder that you’re not fitting in. It’s devastating to all young minds, but particularly our girls.
“The Social Dilemma” describes the marked increase in destructive behaviors and even suicide among teen girls. Those numbers had been mostly unchanged in the first decade of the millennium. Then they started to climb around 2011. That’s about the same time that social media was introduced and smartphones entered the mainstream.
When comparing 2018 with averages from 2001-2010, suicide rates for girls aged 15-19 are up 70%. For pre-teenagers (aged 10-14), the suicide rate has climbed 151%.
As parents, we are not teaching our kids to cope with the typically challenges of life.
“We’re training and conditioning a whole new generation of people that when we are uncomfortable or lonely or uncertain or afraid, we have a digital pacifier for ourselves that is kind of atrophying our own ability to deal with that.” –Tristan Harris
Act Three: Social Media’s Role in Our Polarized Culture.
Act three of the documentary talks about how the algorithms built into social media have been the main driving force behind the rising political and cultural division in the U.S. and around the world.
If the Facebook algorithm sees that you are politically conservative, then it will push more radicalized far right content your way. You will likely come to fear the liberal agenda and think that all liberals are evil people. If Facebook sees that you are liberal, it will push you more radicalized, far left content your way and you will likely come to fear the everything about the liberal agenda and believe that all conservatives are all evil people.
Has anyone else noticed that we are more polarized than ever before? This political stuff isn’t in my wheelhouse, but it scares the crap out of me.
So What? What’s the Big Deal?
Towards the end of “The Social Dilemma,” the filmmakers ask the “so what” question: Smartphones are awesome and they have enhanced our lives, so where’s the existential threat to me or to society? So what if there’s a giant computer analyzing my choices and pushing me content….why is that such a big deal?
Their answer: “It’s technology’s ability to bring out the worst in society…with the worst in society being the existential threat.”
There have always been conspiracy theories.
There have always been lonely and isolated people.
Men (and women) have always struggled with lust.
Every person suffers from the comparison trap.
Teenagers (and many adults) have always had to navigate the frivolous distractions that keep them from developing a meaningful work ethic.
There has always been conflict between people with different value systems.
The problem is that today’s technology (and social media, in particular) has been (unintentionally) designed to make all of those things worse. I don’t think the young programmers creating these platforms are evil…but they have created something with real potential for evil.
Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com puts it this way: “For example, there is Justin Rosenstein, the inventor of Facebook's most ubiquitous feature, the "like" button. He sheepishly says it was intended to "spread positivity." What could be wrong with letting your friends and their friends "like" something you've posted?
Well, it turns out people get their feelings hurt if they don't get likes. So, they amend their behavior to attract more likes. Does that seem like a problem? Consider this: a large population of the people urgently trying to get "likes" are young teenagers. We all know the excruciating nightmare that is middle school, when all of a sudden you no longer take for granted what your parents tell you and decide that what you really need is to be considered cool or at least not a total loser by your friends at school. Now multiply that by the big, unregulated world of the internet.
This is why there is a precipitous spike in anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide attempts by the girls of Gen Z, current middle and high schoolers, as much as triple in some categories. Then there's the new clinical term "Snapchat Dysmorphia," describing the people who seek plastic surgery to look more like the filtered images they see online.”
Quoting Mick LaSalle of Datebook: “The Social Dilemma” should be mandatory viewing for everyone who has a social media account. After seeing it, you may look at your phone differently, as something that isn’t really your friend.”
This is how the sponsors of the event describe what you will see:
WE TWEET, WE LIKE, AND WE SHARE...BUT WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR GROWING DEPENDENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
Join us for a screening of this eye-opening documentary-drama hybrid about how social media apps are deliberately designed to exploit vulnerabilities in human psychology, and how this leads to tech addiction, mental health issues, and political polarization. We'll be watching together virtually alongside a dynamic live chat system that will enable us to process, respond, and learn from each other. We've heard from families with tweens and teens that it makes a great family movie night. If you have been looking for a way to champion the message of digital health with other families in your community--invite them to join this FREE event, which is sure to spark thoughtful conversations in the days that follow!
Want to view “The Social Dilemma” online on October 3?
If this stuff concerns you and you want some help talking about Smartphones with your kids…
We have recently launched Smartphones 101, a new digital course that families go through together. It contains 10 short videos and discussion guides that cover all the things that you need to talk about with your kids: social media, texting, relationships in the digital world, explicit content, predators, and more. It also gives specific details on how to safely set up a teenager’s phone and an editable smartphone contract you can use with your kids. Click the image below for the details:
