Reflections on Our Social Dilemma
For a couple weeks, I had Facebook posts grabbing me by the shoulders and insisting that I watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix. Some came at me with wide, desperate eyes. Others with a calm demeanor that said “I’m going to impart wisdom on you now that will change your life.”
I finally settled on my couch with a glass of Shiraz on Friday night and acquiesced. Ok, fine, let’s see what all the fuss is about.
I can’t decide what it most says about me that I wasn’t shocked by what the documentary had to share. Am I just more aware than most? And if that’s true, what does it say about me that I haven’t deleted my social media accounts and instead continue to share details of my life online? Does my lack of surprise give me a false sense of control, like knowing I’m giving up my privacy is somehow better than unknowingly giving it up? Does that false sense make me even more naïve than those who didn’t realize that their every movement was being tracked and sold to the highest bidder?
Social media has become an integral part of modern life, and I don’t believe it is going away anytime soon. Which answers one person’s comment on a Facebook post about The Social Dilemma — they were surprised Netflix made such a film.
Exposing the twisted reality of triplet algorithms controlling our thoughts and behaviors doesn’t…
