I recently managed to get a chance to watch the much talked about “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix and it is fair to say I was freaked out. As much as social media is a brilliant tool the film explores the dangers of social media, speaking with tech experts who are now sounding the alarm on the dangerous human impact of social networking.
As I watched the film I noticed I was doing exactly what they were talking about, the moment I received a text message or a pop up notification I was instantly attracted back on to social media and away from what was happening in front of me and this is something that is discussed in the film alongside the fact that social media has now become a second world.
The Social Dilemma explores in detail how social media companies take advantage of users, especially teenagers. All age groups are discussed throughout the film, and in particular they discuss in detail the vulnerability of young teenagers who use the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and many more social networking sites. As part of the film they look at statistics over recent years regarding depression, anxiety and even the suicide rates of teenagers. This really sunk in when they cut from the experts and show you a dramatisation of a young teenage girl who is suffering from depression and anxiety because the Instagram picture she posted hasn’t received as much interaction as she anticipated.
Growing up I wish I had more education regarding social networking and its implications. I think this is definitely something we should be aware of as the next generation comes through, would you be inclined to chat to your children or younger family members about social media and the responsibility it entails?
Throughout the film I felt such a strong urge to de-activate all my accounts and turn off my phone but yet after all of that I still didn’t do it? I was still attached to looking on my LinkedIn feed to see what other colleagues and clients were up to. This will likely be the way everyone feels once you watch the film.
There are multiple quotes used throughout that I felt were very powerful, like “if you are not paying for the product then you are the product” and “there are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’… illegal drugs and software”. These two quotes really hit hard at the true reality as much as social media is brilliant for so many things it has changed the way we, as humans, think, work and act in our everyday life.
Every Monday there is that dreaded feeling knowing your “weekly screen time” notification is about to pop up saying your weekly average is 6 hours, up 18% this week! I know I am not alone when I say I have a moment of disbelief and embarrassment knowing I rely on my phone for everything.
This is one of the big issues in today’s society, we use our mobile phones for everything we do, like work, personal life and entertainment and it is all at our finger tips, emails, LinkedIn, what’s app, Facebook and Netflix. You can even watch LIVE TV on the go. There just doesn’t seem a need for anything else as these tiny screens can function everything all in the one and on the go. I am a great believer that everything is good in moderation and too much of any one thing can just lead to bad habits. So, in future I know I will definitely be “attempting” to stay off my mobile and social media and allow myself some time to really enjoy life for what it is and what’s in front of me and I hope others who have watched The Social Dilemma are along the same thinking of myself.
The film is well worth a watch, why not give it a go and see how it affects your thinking on social media and how deeply it influences your life?
Carter Harrison
Digital Marketing Executive
Titan Recruitment
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