If you’re looking for some mental nourishment, Netflix has been releasing some of its original and popular documentaries—in full—for free, so even those unsubscribed to the platform can enjoy them. The latest to join the lineup is documentary-drama hybrid The Social Dilemma, a fitting selection for a time when most hours are spent at home and eyes are perpetually glued to screens.
The Social Dilemma, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, dives into the dangers of an overreliance on social media and artificial intelligence through the perspectives of tech executives themselves. It includes interviews with former leaders and employees from companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Mozilla, and YouTube “sounding the alarm on their own creations,” as described by Netflix.
The documentary details how interfaces are deliberately designed to create addicts out of social media, social media’s role in manipulating minds, and its detrimental effects on mental health.