“The Social Dilemma” Might Be the Best Movie on Netflix
The documentary about Big Tech exposes the malicious nature of social media.
I am astounded by the number of people walking outside every morning with their faces buried in their phones. A few are walking their dogs, some are on bicycles, and many have wireless headphones and are talking aimlessly. I am enjoying nature and walking my dog. But once I am back home, I am often on a device, either my iPhone or iPad. Since retirement, I have been somewhat aware that I have too much screen time. But it was not until I watched the Netflix documentary, “The Social Dilemma,” that I fully appreciated the dark side of this technology.
The well-done film is a series of interviews with pioneers in the social media world. Most have worked at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google. One apologetically admits to being the inventor of the “Like” button. There is a painful awareness by all that social media has evolved into highly addictive platforms. The not so shocking reveal is that this purposely was the business model. The psychology behind it is not new, but the means toward the rewards are. Two quotes sum up the movie best. 1.” If you’re not paying for the product, then you’re the product.” 2. “There are only two industries that call their customers’ users’: illegal drugs and software.”
