The Social Dilemma

If you’re an American wondering how our country became so divided so fast, WATCH THIS MOVIE. In fact every adult who uses the internet needs to see it so they understand what’s happening every time they go online. My advice is to watch it first so you can decide whether your kid should watch it. It's PG-13, however the potential implications are dramatic and different kids may process it differently.

Social media effect on true journalism might be something we won't be able to fight because it is killing it with fake and false information to push agendas

Excellent documentary about how the artificial intelligence the other side of your screen owned by the big electronic media companies manipulates us and makes their services addictive. A brief but vivid un-flagged shot panning along a row of dead children laid out on the ground and fairly explicit descriptions of self harm and ultimate consequences raise the suitability age of this otherwise harmless documentary about what tech is unsuitable for children!

Don't check Facebook until you've seen this movie.

I highly recommend watching "The Social Dilemma" if you or your children use Google, youtube, facebook, twitter or Instagram. Watch the trailer and you will be hooked (it's eye-opening). Although technology can be great and wonderful and teach us things and bring us together, there is a huge darkside to this same technology. HUGE. And we are not even aware of it... I just watched the documentary with my 15 year old son. It is an hour and half long... a little dry in the beginning but it gets better as it goes along. And afterwards my son and I talked for another hour and a half about the documentary. My son even ignored his friends who were messaging him on the xbox to come play some online game with them to have a conversation with his mom about social media and google and its effects on people (and politics and democracy). Maybe I should have written that in capital letters... MY SON IGNORED HIS FRIENDS TO TALK WITH ME FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF AFTER WATCHING THIS VIDEO. That in and of itself was worth the 9.99 I paid to get Netflix for a month just so I could watch this video. I have a daughter in middle school and even though I don't think this video is inappropriate for her, I'm not sure it would hold her attention. Trying to decide if I should watch it with her or wait a few years... I'll probably wait until she starts high school.

In my opinion, there are many things wrong with this movie that makes me believe Director Jeff Orlowski already had his mind made up when beginning work on this movie. One bit that made me think this was when they talked about female suicide rates, but conviently left out mention of male suicide rates, which have been much higher than female rates since the start. (possibly because the rates weren't as steep.) The opening tries to imply social media turns you into a violent extremist. Only made to appeal to moms and boomers who want their opinion proved correct.

Sticks up to the radicalization and addiction of social media.

With interviews from former social media executives and researchers, the individual and societal dangers of social media are outlined in a clear and compelling story line. From the psychological harms to teens and tweens, to use of personal data for marketing and profit, to algorithms that speed distribution of misinformation and conspiracy theories, the movie makes it clear that we all need to pay attention - in our daily habits and in government regulation and policy. While some of the content may be hard for 11-12 year olds to follow, the movie is still appropriate for audiences of that age. For 13 and above - a must watch.

Eye opener. Discussion starter and good for geeks too