If you have found yourself wondering, “Who is Charlie Kirk?” or “Charlie Kirk is so famous, why are these people pretending they’ve never heard of him?” Recently, you might want to check out the documentary “The Social Dilemma”, now streaming on Netflix. It has nothing to do with Charlie Kirk – but everything to do with why you have or have not heard of him.
“The Social Dilemma” is a thought-provoking documentary that explores the dark side of social media and its impact on society. Directed by Jeff Orlowski, the film investigates the possibly unintended consequences of the technology most of us use daily – Instagram, Google, TikTok, YouTube – and asks if these platforms are being used to divide us and erode the social order.
The most interesting parts of the film are the interviews with several former employees of major tech companies, including Google, Facebook, X and Pinterest.
The very people who helped build the algorithms and design features that manipulate user behavior – many of whom seem a bit embarrassed by their involvement – are now sounding the alarm about how these tools exploit human psychology and keep users online.
Many said they started out building something good but eventually quit over ethical concerns. While the experts do not fully acknowledge their own complicity, the fact that they chose to speak out is powerful and adds credibility to the documentary.
The film is cut with news footage and some unfortunate fictional dramatizations that recall Pixar’s 2015 film Inside Out. These scenes are used to illustrate how social media algorithms affect users, especially teenagers.
While overly dramatic and political at times, they highlight how easy it is to become addicted to screen time – and how echo chambers and misinformation can manipulate beliefs.
A bright spot in the film is Tristan Harris, a former Google designer who co-founded the Center for Humane Technology. He offers some hope for the future in an otherwise doom and gloom story by advocating for stronger regulation, transparency and more ethical design practices.
The film closes with some practical suggestions for changing user behavior.
First, be aware of manipulative tactics. Second, turn off notifications that aren’t timely or important. Limit your screen time and be more mindful of your online interactions. Ignore automated recommendations and make intentional choices. Seek out a variety of information sources and follow people you don’t agree with.
It’s unrealistic to think we’ll stop using social media altogether, but we can make choices that reduce its harmful effects on our mental health.
The big takeaway: If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product. Social media platforms monetize your attention and sell it to advertisers with the help of hyper-targeted data collection. The algorithms aren’t optimized to make you better informed – they’re designed to keep you engaged and influence what you believe.
“The Social Dilemma” is interesting, informative and worth watching.
