Is The Social Dilemma just “anti-propaganda” propaganda?
“If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.”
“How much of your life can we get you to give to us?”
“It’s the...imperceptible change in your own behavior and perception that is the product.”
We are being #manipulated.
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(Orlowski, 2020)
Netflix’s original documentary The Social Dilemma was released for streaming on September 9, 2020 amidst a firestorm of exposures and scandals of the most shocking kind. From the outcry about controversial film Cuties and the conspiracies surrounding Public Enemy #1 (a.k.a. Carole Baskin), Netflix has not been hurting for publicity this year. But this time, the streaming platform has come up with something a little different. A documentary about how technology and social media giants are secretly manipulating our every thought and choice. Former powers that be from such companies as Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Twitter are interviewed to share the deep dark secrets of these companies and expose the inner workings and plannings that would have made George Orwell dust off his typewriter. All kidding aside, The Social Dilemma raises some serious questions that have been on the mind of many for years though never deeply discussed or examined. The negative impacts of social media on young people, the increase in artificial intelligence, concerns over privacy and addictive technology, and all manner of variations on these topics have been bounced around the dinner table probably since the first television was placed in a private living room. Every development in technology has brought with it new questions and concerns. The Social Dilemma acknowledges this fact, but goes further to remind viewers that technology has only continued to develop faster and faster and the human race is at a point where we can no longer keep up. Additionally, the film attempts to warn viewers of the dangers implicit in using technology because of advertisers and big money makers that are actively trying to buy your attention with catastrophic results of confirmation bias, extreme conspiracies, and violent polarization.
The film employs several trigger points to draw the audience in. Many of these are the same trigger points the film is claiming to warn us against. Again, while the film brings up some valid concerns, the irony of the method should not be lost on us. I mean, you’re literally staring at a screen that is telling you how bad it is to stare at a screen...Aside from that, the mere premise of the film initiates the intrigue button. Add all of the “former” executives from very powerful companies who are coming forward to share their experiences and throw in a dramatized worst case scenario and you’ve got yourself a prime tool for scaring the heck out of people.
Any study of marketing or advertising will inevitably explore ways to target, trigger, and guide people’s emotions toward your end goal. Be it a sad puppy commercial to get donations or an outrageous headline to get clicks. Words and visuals will get you almost anywhere. And for a documentary on control and manipulation, these are the best tools in the box.
Vocabulary
Ethical concerns. Fundamentally a force for good. A life of their own. We were naive.
Surveillance. Tracking. Voodoo doll. Implant an unconscious habit. Lab rats. Zombies.
We are being sold.
Words are powerful. They have the ability to trigger strong emotions and influence thoughts. Something The Social Dilemma apparently understands very well. Setting aside the creepy instrumental score and the quite convincing nervous twitches, just listening to how the experts phrase their comments is interesting in and of itself. Words and phrases like those mentioned above are disconcerting and uncomfortable. Used individually. Used collectively, they move beyond uncomfortable and become a verbal picture that is downright disturbing. Surveillance and tracking are already hot button topics in the world today. As are privacy, freedom, control, people being bought and sold, etc. This phrasing is extremely effective in playing on an audience’s existing concerns and relating them to the topic at hand.
Visuals
“As humans, we’ve almost lost control over these systems.” (Orlowski, 2020)
Aesthetically, The Social Dilemma was creative and high quality in my opinion. The stringing together of interviews and dramatization was interesting and definitely effective in getting the point across. I also felt that the use of a main voice, Tristan Harris in this case, really helped create continuity and made even the interview sequences feel more like a story than snips and clips of Q & A sessions. That being said, the film still devolved into the sort of theatrics that created some serious propaganda vibes. Yes. I just said “vibes.”
The use of the mindless avatar being controlled by the personified inner workings of a smartphone puts a pretty dark spin on the meme famous “my FBI agent.” The idea that everyone has an FBI agent assigned to monitor their actions by listening through phones and watching through webcams has been the source of memes and wisecracks for quite a while now. The way it is employed in The Social Dilemma however is far from laughable. This visualization drives home the fears that vocabulary like manipulation and control and the concepts of being bought and sold and experimented on has triggered. Are we being monitored through our devices? I’m in the “Of course we are” camp. However, is my phone operated by three variations of an annoying 30 something controlling my every move and thought even down to somehow prompting other people to tag me so that my attention is captured? Sorry...but that’s Camp Problynot. Whether or not you are convinced of its accuracy, this visualization is still vastly disturbing and definitely emotionally triggering. Mission accomplished.
Veritas
“It’s not about the technology being the existential threat. It’s about technology bringing out the worst in society and society becoming the existential threat.” (Orlowski, 2020)
While the film’s overarching feel of propaganda-esque fear mongering greatly diminishes its effectiveness in my opinion, it does bring up an interesting question that it would behoove us to consider. What is truth? It often seems that we don’t know anymore. Everyone seems to have their own definition of truth and woe betide to anyone who contradicts it. There are many things that could be the cause of this disintegration of reality and truth, but The Social Dilemma points to social media algorithms as a significant contributor.
Algorithms are basically creating confirmation bias.
As your data is mined through social media, internet search engines, etc., algorithms calculate what content will be most effective in gaining your attention. This is why when you search for something, or talk about something...or think about something…, you begin to see similar advertisements or content generated on your social media and search engines. Helpful? Probably. Convenient? Maybe. Creepy? ...yeah, actually really creepy. But aside from the creep factor and the occasional convenience of having content generated for you based on your past choices, what the algorithms are also doing is removing diversity from your life. According to the documentary experts, the end goal of social media and technology is to capture as much of your attention as possible through employing content that is most like what you agree and engage with. It only makes sense that you would see less and less diversity in your feed. The danger here is that these algorithms are basically creating confirmation bias. You are being fed only what is similar and cohesive with what you have indicated that you believe and support. How then are we able to have diversity if diversity is systematically being removed from our lives without us ever being aware it is happening? This is perhaps the most present concern and definitely valid in today’s culture climate.
What should we take away?
“It’s the critics who drive improvement. It’s the critics who are the true optimists.” (Orlowski, 2020)
From its conception, propaganda has been primarily based on an extreme version of a piece of truth. The Social Dilemma is no different.
Protecting children from the negative effects of social media, awareness and diversity in media content being consumed, balancing time spent with technology and removing distractions and attention grabbers to maintain good mental and emotional health. These are all true issues affecting humans today and they should be addressed and pushed back against often. Companies should be held to a standard of morals and ethics that support and benefit humans mentally and emotionally instead taking advantage of and preying upon them. My hope is that the emotional triggers present in this film will not activate such a level of fear in viewers that they will be unable to think clearly about effective measures to address unhealthy technology habits in their own lives. Perhaps if The Social Dilemma had used a little more than .07% of their 94 minutes to provide viewers with constructive tools to solve the dilemma, this review may have taken a very different turn. But that’s another story.
Be smart. Make good choices.
Over and out!
J.F.
Reference:
Orlowski, J. (Director). (2020). The Social Dilemma [Motion picture]. United States: Netflix.
Well done!
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