Review: The Social Dilemma

The Social Dilemma: Unmasking the Hidden Cost of Our Digital Lives

I was just free for some time and decided to watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix. At first, I was simply curious about the topic, as it had always interested me. But as the documentary unfolded, it became clear that I had spent my time wisely. It made me rethink how social media influences our lives, our minds, and even society itself.

In an age where scrolling through social media feels as natural as breathing, The Social Dilemma, a Netflix original documentary-drama hybrid, delivers a powerful and unsettling wake-up call. Released in 2020 and directed by Jeff Orlowski, the film offers a behind-the-scenes look at how social media platforms manipulate users for profit — and the societal consequences of that manipulation.

At its core, The Social Dilemma is not just a critique of social media; it's a deep exploration of how technology companies have engineered systems to capture attention, shape behavior, and profit from our personal data. The documentary features interviews with former employees and executives from tech giants like Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest — people who were once at the helm of designing the very features that now trouble them.

The Business Model: You Are the Product

One of the most striking messages from The Social Dilemma is the idea that if you're not paying for the product, you are the product. This concept flips the usual consumer-tech relationship on its head. The documentary emphasizes that social media companies don’t sell services to users; they sell users — or more accurately, users' attention and behavior — to advertisers.

These platforms use algorithms powered by artificial intelligence to predict what users are likely to click, watch, or buy. The more time you spend on the app, the more data it gathers, which makes its predictions sharper — and its ad-targeting more profitable. But this data-driven model creates a conflict of interest: platforms must keep users engaged at all costs, often at the expense of truth, mental health, and even democracy.

Psychological Manipulation by Design

The film delves into how social media exploits human psychology. Features like infinite scroll, push notifications, “likes,” and recommendations are all carefully engineered to create habitual usage — even addiction. These design elements tap into the brain’s dopamine system, giving users little rewards to keep them coming back.

Tristan Harris, a former design ethicist at Google and one of the documentary’s central voices, explains how this manipulation happens at a subconscious level. The algorithms learn not just from what you watch or like, but from how long you pause while scrolling or what you hesitate to click. These systems learn your behavior so well that they can begin to shape it — influencing everything from what news you see to how you vote.

Mental Health and Social Polarization

Perhaps one of the most distressing aspects of The Social Dilemma is its focus on the mental health consequences of social media. The film draws a strong correlation between the rise of social media and increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide — especially among teenagers. Young users, particularly girls, are portrayed as highly vulnerable to the pressures of online validation and the curated perfection of others' lives.

But the impact goes beyond individuals. The film highlights how social media contributes to misinformation, polarization, and extremism. When algorithms prioritize engagement, they often promote content that is sensational, controversial, or emotionally triggering — regardless of its truthfulness. This creates echo chambers where users are fed increasingly extreme content, deepening divisions in society and making consensus on important issues more difficult.

The Human Element: Stories from Tech Insiders

What gives The Social Dilemma its emotional weight is the credibility of its interview subjects. These are not outsiders throwing stones; they are insiders with firsthand experience in the design rooms of Silicon Valley. They include:

• Tristan Harris (former Google design ethicist)

• Justin Rosenstein (co-creator of the Facebook “Like” button)

• Guillaume Chaslot (former YouTube engineer)

• Tim Kendall (former president of Pinterest)

• Jaron Lanier (founding father of virtual reality and tech philosopher)

Many express regret about the unintended consequences of their work. What began as tools to connect people and democratize information have, in many cases, spiraled into mechanisms of manipulation, division, and harm.

The Drama Component: Fiction Meets Reality

To make the message more accessible, the documentary intersperses real interviews with a fictional narrative that follows a suburban family impacted by social media. This dramatized portion shows a teenage girl struggling with body image and self-worth due to online pressure, and her brother falling into conspiracy theories after being manipulated by algorithmic content. These dramatizations help translate abstract concepts into relatable human experiences, although some critics have argued that this part of the film feels overly simplistic or sensationalized.

Solutions and Responsibility

While The Social Dilemma paints a bleak picture, it also offers hope. The interviewees stress that the problem isn’t social media itself, but the way it is monetized and regulated. They call for transparency, ethical design, and legislative reform to rein in the worst abuses of these platforms.

Some proposed solutions include:

• Breaking up monopolies to reduce concentrated power in a few hands

• Creating ethical design standards that prioritize user well-being

• Regulating data collection and use

• Implementing digital literacy education so users understand how they’re being influenced

Ultimately, the film encourages viewers to become more mindful of their digital habits. Simple steps like turning off notifications, using search engines that don’t track data, and taking breaks from social media can help reclaim control over one’s digital life.

Final Thoughts

The Social Dilemma is not just a film — it’s a cultural moment. It forces viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about how deeply our lives are entangled with technology and how those systems are not necessarily designed in our best interest. By combining compelling storytelling with insider testimony, the film succeeds in making a complex, often invisible problem visible and urgent.

In a world where algorithms know us better than we know ourselves, The Social Dilemma is a vital reminder: technology is not neutral. It reflects the values of those who create it — and if profit is the only value, then society must demand change.