If you love a good documentary, subscribe to Netflix and you like productions that expose the truth about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media, you may have already seen 'The Networks Dilemma'. If you haven't done so already, know that you can now watch the work of Jeff Orlowski, critically acclaimed and nominated for seven Emmy Awards, for free No. Youtube.
Yes, users can catch the feature length warning about social media on one of the most accessed platforms in the world (irony? Yeah…). In the documentary, the techniques used by the main technology giants in the market to attract and retain users are exposed. The procedures, according to the testimonies presented (which include former employees of the companies), resort to psychological games that negatively affect people online and include manipulation of information. Watch the full production below:
'The Networks Dilemma' still investigates the dire consequences of our obsession and dependence on social media. In approximately 94 minutes, the film addresses and criticizes surveillance, capitalism, addiction and polarization, as well as analyzing the harmful effects of the media and the internet on practically everything from self-esteem to democracy.
The official synopsis of the production, released by the streaming platform, says: “Technology experts and professionals in the field issue a warning: social networks can have a devastating impact on democracy and humanity”.
Filled with personal anecdotes and emphatic pleas made by tech industry experts based on detailed data analysis, the documentary is sure to make you think twice about the main social platforms that govern society's digital life today, the Twitter, Facebook and (amazing) YouTube.
'The Networks Dilemma' and the industry response
Launched in early 2020, 'O Dilema das Redes' achieved success among the public and the specialized press, but harsh criticism from the technology industry as a whole. Noted author and digital media researcher Wendy Hui Kyong Chun argued at the time that the film "gives an inaccurate portrayal of how social media algorithms work and exaggerates how much control they have over their users."
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In a note released to the public on its official profile on the platform, Facebook stated that the documentary "gives a distorted view of how social media platforms work to create a convenient scapegoat for what are difficult and perplexing social problems".
Mozilla Firefox browser representatives Ashley Boyd and Audrey Hingle also spoke out and stated that although “the creation, launch and popularity of 'The Networks Dilemma' represents an important milestone towards the [objective of] building a movement of internet users who understand the impact of social media and demand better from the platforms”, the film would have benefited more if it presented “more diverse voices”.
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