The Social Dilemma
Year: 2020
Rating: PG-13
Length: 94 minutes / 1.57 hours
I joined Facebook in 2005. Before that, I was on MySpace. As someone who started heavily using the internet when the concept of social media started taking off, I honestly feel that I managed to avoid a lot of its pitfalls. My introverted self loved getting updates on people’s lives without having to cultivate all those relationships intentionally. Of course, the system only works if people post updates of their lives. What The Social Dilemma (2020) brings to light is that programs meant to keep us connected have since been tainted by dangerous technology that keeps us coming back for more and getting little in return.
While The Social Dilemma is inherently about how damaging social media can be, the greater lesson here is how artificial intelligence was created to handle these enormous datasets. Unfortunately, because these AIs were created to maximize ad revenue, they break us down to our psychological building blocks and manipulate us in ways we don’t even realize. Even though I don’t use social media as much as I once did (having a toddler will do that), I do find it frustrating as an independent artist that it can be difficult to break the “algorithm” to reach people who might want the art I create.
Overall, I think The Social Dilemma‘s heart is in the right place by interviewing the people who built these social media giants and explaining how they purposely put these AI systems in place. My one qualm is the fictional side story meant to act as an example of how social media can go wrong. It felt a bit too much like an after-school special, even if it was a likely scenario for many young people. I almost would have preferred 90 minutes of the experts talking about what they created.
A lesson on the importance of properly programmed AI, I give The Social Dilemma 4.0 stars out of 5.
