classicsoncall Review of The Social Dilemma

The Social Dilemma (2020)

"If you're not paying for the product, then you are the product."

[7/10 · 30 October 2020]

It shouldn't be a shock to users of social media that the platforms are manipulative, but if the idea never entered your mind, this documentary will go a long way to convince you. It actually gets scary when you hear the developers of the software and algorithms that comprise one's social media experience state that they won't even let their own families use it. That's probably a stretch because as we all know, there's potentially good and bad in just about everything, but when it comes down to the wire, it's money that makes the world go round, and the monetization of sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter suggest that one only exists to become a paying customer. Call me naive, but when I learned that budding programmers can immerse themselves in a course designed around Persuasive Technology, it sent a bit of a chill down my spine. In other words, there's a behavioral science that maintains as it's central tenet the ways in which these technologies can separate you from your money. There's also the very real danger of polarization whereby one is bombarded with clickbait that feeds off of prior keystrokes and web visits. It's actually a bit surprising that this film currently airs on Netflix because one would associate it with the usual suspects mentioned in the picture. After all, as soon as you finish watching this film, you automatically get suggestions on what to watch next. Come to think of it, you get 'More Like This' on every IMDb title page.