Trapped in the Web: Untangling 'The Social Dilemma'

Casting a critical eye over the mass integration of social media in contemporary life – with all its effects on transmission of information, young people's psychological development and political radicalisation – Jeff Orlowski's documentary presents a broad overview of this technology's near-ubiquitous presence. Yet while the film is full of alarming factoids and a dramatisation of some of social media's dangers, it is ultimately short on answers on how to structurally resolve these social ills, writes Nadine Whitney.

Additional keywords:
Jeff Orlowski, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, Rohingya, Myanmar, COVID-19, fake news, January 6, Capitol riots, Donald Trump, QAnon, Parler, Apple, Amazon, sovereign citizen, Center for Humane Technology, Tristan Harris, Roger McNamee, code, algorithm, Jaron Lanier, Tim Kendall, engagement, growth, advertising, emerging mind, Generation Z, Joe Toscano, filter, body dysmorphia, self-harm