The Social Dilemma is a new Netflix documentary, diving into how technology is changing our behavior, and interfering with our mental health and social skills. The documentary mainly focuses on interviewing former employees of big social media companies, such as Facebook or Instagram. Many of these people were the minds behind features such as infinite scroll. Scenes with hired actors break up the interviews, acting out a family in their daily lives and the challenges they face in connecting with each other and the real world. For social media users, The Social Dilemma teaches interesting facts about why the Internet is so addictive.

There were two things in particular that stood out for me while watching the documentary. The first was learning about targeted algorithms. When we’re on any social media, what we generally see first is based on which accounts we follow and look at more, and less about what time accounts are shared and posted. Every post we look at and everything we search is remembered by technology, so every time we come back for more it will have something that appeals to our interests ready to look at. If you've ever looked at your explore page on Instagram, everything you can click on has something to do with you personally (for example, an infinite number of posts about a favorite book or movie). These "suggested" posts are not random, it was built around constant tracking of your activity online. Have you ever meant to spend "just five minutes" online and ended up losing way more than that? It's because everything targeted at you is meant to be appealing and interesting to keep you online.

The second concept that jumped out at me was the term "numbing". Using social media as an escape or form of self-care is an increasing problem. It encourages people to avoid confrontation or responsibility, by offering an escape from reality. Avoiding real life problems can lead to increased stress and anxiety, and the more it is avoided the worse it becomes. It will also negatively impact people's skills when technology is interacted with more than other human beings. Additionally, it is usually not a healthy form of self-care. The Internet can be a welcome escape for a short amount of time, but when your life is at a point where you need a time out, observing the lives that others share online can be more damaging than beneficial. The majority of us will only share the good things in our lives, and when your own might be at a low point looking at all these projections of perfect, positive lives will make us feel invalid and sad.

The Social Dilemma was not made to demonize social media, but to offer a fresh perspective on how to live with it. It is so ingrained in our psych, that finding ways to reshape the interactions on both ends is a more effective way than cutting it out to stay healthy as a society moving forward. Watching it can help you realize what you can do differently to develop a healthier relationship with technology, and where things need to change.

Students' Perspectives
Watching The Social Dilemma was extremely beneficial because it led to a greater understanding of the inner workings of technology, and how it preys on our attention. Understanding is a crucial first step towards using technology more wisely and better connecting with the real world.