The Social Dilemma (2020) | agoodmovietowatch
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The Social Dilemma 2020

How social media algorithms harm society, as explained by their inventors

Our Take (by Bilal Zouheir)

This new documentary is about the exact scale to which social media is harming us, as testified to by people from the industry: ex-executives at Google, Instagram, Facebook, and even the ex-President of Pinterest. All have left their companies for (incredibly valid) ethical concerns that they share here.

It’s a blend of interview footage and a fiction film that follows a family who feels more distant because of social media. This allows to see the implications of what the interviewees are saying in real life but quite frankly it also serves as a welcome break from the intensity of their words. How intense? One of them predicts civil war within 20 years.

Notable Critics

"The film will definitely make you more cognizant of your own behavior - not just of how you use the internet, but how the internet uses you."

— David Ehrlich

"It asks fundamental and existential questions about whether we are literally writing (with code) ourselves out of the ability to make vital decisions."

— Nell Minow

Synopsis

This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.

Awards

BAFTA

1 nomination

Nominated: Documentary

Sundance

1 nomination

Nominated: Official Selection

Comments

  1. A bit disappointed to see it being recommended here. The message is good (although don’t we already know it all?), but the execution is absolute rubbish. It feels like grotesque propaganda “Say no to drugs” ads from the 80s. Plus these terribly cheesy dramatizations. Skip it.

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About the author

Bilal Zouheir

Bilal Zouheir

Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is US-based and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.