Black Mirror

Not sure if you know what Black Mirror is but it is a show on Netflix that centers around dark and satirical themes that examine modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies.

I have caught a few episodes and have been very intrigued about it as it really is giving us a good perspective on what the future holds for us when it comes to technology.

I have thought about what I have watched and realize they hit on some key points with regards to social media.  One episode, “Nosedive” focused on how we rely on social media to rate us, to give us thumbs up, to build our confidence, to have us fit in to a higher class.  As you meet each person in real life, you are instantly taken to their profile on your mobile (which means your mobile NEVER leaves your hand) and you must rate your encounter and depending on your overall rating, determines where you live, who you can hang out with, where you can shop…..you get the picture.

Why I was intrigued by this is that I see this happen all the time in social media in the sense of being rated.  We put up a picture and we watch our notifications to see how many people like/comment on it.  If someone that you are expecting to respond and they don’t, you start to formulate negative thoughts and question why.  You can imagine how this is affecting our youth of today.  I mean, they LIVE on social media (Instagram, SnapChat) and every picture is worth a thousand words, leading to approval.  Sad, that we have created this environment and to think that it will only get worse as the world of technology continues to grow.

So, how do we as a society stop it?  I wish I had an answer but I really don’t because as adults, don’t we do the same?  Don’t we try and take the perfect picture and hope to get the response that we need to feel good about ourselves?  We rely on other people to judge us, YES, judge us.   So, how do we teach the youth of today, and their children, that this is not how confidence is built?  How do we guide them down a path to not rely on social media when technology is only going to get bigger and bigger?

Food for thought………