The Social Dilemma is a documentary that explores the methods of manipulation and monetization used by companies by addicting us to our smart phones. Let that sink in. The Social Dilemma explores the effects of Instagram, Facebook and Google on society and why they’re among the most successful companies in the history of mankind. Something as innocuous as just conducting online research can actually be exploited into a form of targeted manipulation.

We tweet, we like, and we share— but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? As digital platforms increasingly become a lifeline to stay connected, Silicon Valley insiders reveal how social media is reprogramming civilization by exposing what’s hiding on the other side of your screen.

THE GOOD

Part Inception, Part Super Size Me, Part Saturday afternoon school special this movie blends a lot. I like how The Social Dilemma uses multiple methods of storytelling to get the point across. I have never seen a scripted narrative inserted into a documentary before. I’m sure this has been done before I have just never noticed. It’s a cool technique that really stood out for me.

The interviews are really good with ex-Facebook and ex-Google employees carefully sharing their insight. The level of detail that these companies capture is astounding. I was not aware how much information is being captured about me when I’m just scrolling on my timeline. I had no idea they recorded when I scrolled back up and how many seconds I would look at an image. It certainly seems like these companies are at a level of pervasiveness that few understand.

THE BAD

The script wasn’t that great. There were moments where I cringed at what I was seeing. It’s hard to pinpoint if The Social Dilemma also suffers from poor acting because some of the scenes are presented so poorly. There’s a moment where the family attempts to have dinner without any cell phones at the table. What ensues is a good attempt with bad results.

The Social Dilemma feels a little long while clocking in at about 90 minutes long. I wish it were a bit shorter to keep the message more impactful. There are moments where I was genuinely intrigued by the transparency little long

OVERALL

The Social Dilemma is both informative and surprisingly interesting. I am not a huge documentary fan but this one took the effort to get my attention. I like the movie and will recommend to others to watch at least the first 60 minutes.