Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.
— Sophocles
Watching The Social Dilemma, a Netflix documentary centred around the effects of social media on society, was eye-opening, to say the least. As Sophocles mentions in the quote above, everything in this world has its pros and cons; social media is no exception to this rule.
Viewing the film resonated with me personally. Being an avid user of social media, YouTube and Instagram notably, I see technology ruin lives daily — some’s insecurities are worsened, others are cyber-bullied, and many fall into fake news traps. However, it wasn’t until I watched this documentary that I saw just how deep the social media hole is.
Having used technology as a form of escapism from the real world, I’m quite partial to the benefits it brings. Social media can truly bring joy to society, especially now in lockdown, when the days seem gloomier than they should be. In contrast, many, like I, sometimes forget how ruinous apps can be. Seeing TSD felt like the cloth was being removed from my eyes and I could discern once more the dark side of the web.
I felt attached to the characters despite their short screen time. Notably, I was drawn to Isla, the youngest girl in the family shown. She and I are alike in many ways. Back when I was in elementary, I was extremely attached to my phone. It was a part of me in the worst way possible. I thought that my worth was attributed to what I looked like, said or did on there. Like Isla, I took hundreds of selfies but covered them all in filters to mask my “ugliness”. As I got closer to eighth-grade graduation, luckily, I learned that my authentic worth lies in what I do in the real world, not how many likes I got on my recent post or my follower count. Unfortunately, not all others in my past position can overcome social media toxicity.
Thus, watching the film was a bit like reopening an old wound. Seeing Isla reminded me that there are so many people globally affected by insecurities especially fueled by the media. This, however, does not deter me from acknowledging TSD’s message: social media is a capitalist ploy. Companies will do anything and everything to gain profit — media does not always equate to the truth.
In closing, The Social Dilemma is a movie I’d recommend to anyone who hopes to delve deeper into the dark side of the world. Though some scenes stung personally to watch, I admire the overall theme — society needs to differentiate (some) things they find on social media and (some) things they see in the real world. Some news might be fake, “perfect” pictures of celebrities are most likely photoshopped, and conspiracy theories are just theories. Always, always fact-check before you believe and/or spread the news. Take everything you see with a grain of salt!