Through a Glass Darkly

The Social Dilemma, a documentary from writer/director Jeff Orlowski, ought to be required viewing of every man, woman and child. Here’s why:

People accept the reality presented to them; that’s what hasn’t changed.

Only now, the power of illusion, the power to distort reality, has never been greater. Internet media can reach millions of people at the speed of light, and the average person is likely to accept and gravitate toward what already conforms to his or her views. Massive corporations know this and exploit it for financial gain. So, instead of learning and progressing, we’re wearing deeper grooves, tunneling into our tribal hedonism.

The old lines about capitalism don’t apply anymore. Our grandparents’ version of capitalism has been eaten by its son, social technology.

In today’s world, massive troll farms can influence elections in other countries. People with no other means of communication are given phones with Facebook pre-installed, and that’s their entire interface with the larger world. Countries are literally being destabilized and democracies are fraying apart.

This is not about technology being “bad” or capitalism being bad. Technology is the wheel, or a pen and pencil, and without question can be used to better humanity. Many of the pioneers of social media intended just that.