The Social Dilemma
Jeff Orlowski, Larissa Rhodes
5 mins
3 key insights
Visual, audio & text
In documentary The Social Dilemma, filmmaker Jeff Orlowski takes a critical look at the addictive and exploitative aspects of social media platforms, and the way they have impacted our society.


The Social Dilemma

The Social Dilemma
by Jeff Orlowski
Overview
Social media has brought us a world of unprecedented communication - all seemingly for free. But this interconnectedness has darker hidden costs. The Social Dilemma is an uncompromising look at the true nature of social media and its consequences.
Featuring interviews with many influential figures in the tech industry, this documentary takes a deep dive into how social media is designed to sell our attention to advertisers. Along the way, it explores this technology's broader impacts such as behavioral manipulation, increasing stress on our mental health, and growing political polarization.
Filmmaker Jeff Orlowski has previously directed and produced the documentaries Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral, focusing on climate change and the environment. With The Social Dilemma, he turns his attention to our social environment, and the powerful technological forces shaping it.
Favorite quote

The tools that have been created today are starting to erode the social fabric of how society works.
- Chamath Palihapitiya, former Vice President of Growth at Facebook

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