"I always felt like, fundamentally, it was a force for good," says Alex Roetter, former head of engineering for Twitter in this incisive documentary.
"I don't know if I feel that way anymore." The Social Dilemma dives deep into the manipulation tactics of sites like Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Instagram to keep users hooked and the negative consequences that result — from the spread of misinformation to depression and suicide.
The doc features various talking heads from former employees of these social media sites, who explain their companies' insidious practices.
Additionally, the film presents a dramatization of an average family of five to demonstrate social media addiction in various forms. After watching The Social Dilemma, which presents its thesis in sobering fashion, it will be hard not to think twice before mindlessly scrolling Facebook or Instagram again.
—K.J.
The Social Dilemma is a 2020 American docudrama film directed by Jeff Orlowski and written by Orlowski, Davis Coombe, and Vickie Curtis.
The documentary examines how social media's design nurtures addiction to maximize profit, and its ability to manipulate people's views, emotions, and behaviour and spread conspiracy theories and disinformation.
The film also examines social media's effect on mental health, in particular, the mental health of adolescents and rising teen suicide rates.