What’s the Buzz Around Netflix’s ‘The Social Dilemma’ Documentary?

The Social Dilemma, a documentary by Netflix, has been one of the most trending stories since its release in early September. This documentary exposes how big tech companies, especially those in social media, use their platforms to manipulate people’s psychology for their own interests. 

Some people said they were going to delete social media apps after watching the documentary. But is it that scary?  Let’s dive in. 

Dominated by interviews of people who have worked with big tech companies like Google and Facebook, reporters got opinions on how big tech built algorithms meant to manipulate people’s The documentary dug deep to show how social networks and search engines monitor almost psychology. 

Everything we do on the internet and use that information to target us with ads and, in some rare cases, even sell this data to other third-party companies. This is something that most people were aware of, but the documentary made it bolder in their heads – something that was scary for many viewers of this film. 

However, what is new with this film is that most of the interviewees played a significant part in creating these social platforms and lamented how their dream of connecting people “lost its way.” They noted that media had become a manipulative, addictive, physiologically damaging, and politically dangerous platform. 

Since the release of this documentary in September, it has been making rounds on social media and several news platforms. Everyone has been talking about it because it is one of those documentaries that are realistic and controversial at the same time. The fact that Netflix also uses some of the algorithms that social platforms use to recommend content affects wondering why Netflix had to put such a documentary on their platform – because it does affect them. 

Phycologist Pamela B. Rutledge (Ph.D., M.B.A). – the Director of the Media Psychology Research Center and faculty in the media psychology program at Fielding Graduate University didn’t have kind words for Netflix about this documentary. In her article, she says most of the documentary arguments are correct, but most are incomplete and not well researched. 

Facebook also reacted to this film, saying that most of the things portrayed are inaccurate. Facebook says this documentary was using social media as a scapegoat for the many fundamental problems that we are facing in society today. They argued that their algorithm keeps users’ information like other apps like Uber, Netflix, Amazon, and dating apps. Based on Facebook’s reaction, their relationship with Netflix will likely not remain the same.