Black Mirror - Paragraph Post

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The Black Mirror episode 'Nosedive' revealed a lot about some of the dark truths of our digital culture. Besides being a tool to connect with one another social media, for the most part, seems to be a leash. This isn't to say that it controls people indefinitely, but that it weighs heavily on their lives. Social media plays a larger role in society than it once did, especially since almost anyone can look you up. Like the episode depicted, with Lacey struggling for the home she wanted, social media contributes a lot towards the economy such as obtaining a job. One wrong post could cost someone their position or even an interview which in some ways portrays our society leaning more towards a social media driven world as in Black Mirror. This doesn't apply just in the occupational sense; if someone were to post something others didn't like, it could ruin their social life and cost them their 'friends', the individuals they tried so hard to appeal in order to play the numbers game. People, though not all, are infatuated with numbers whether they're aware of it or not, and having a large following/friends is something that people try to achieve even at the cost of the small few who truly are their friends. We can see with Lacey the extent she went to in order to get 5 star ratings from others, liking posts from people more popular than her in hopes of obtaining some of that popularity and recognition back. There is no difference in today's society where people ride on others' success, especially going out of their way to become something they're no, not matter the cost. Social media is the dark underbelly of society when inspected closer. It drove Lacey to rock bottom, costing her everything and everyone she knew. However being disconnected allowed her the freedom in which social media doesn't give; though there's some freedom of speech that we have in our society, just some lines that cannot be crossed. Social media has influenced our society and culture to where it's manipulating people's views and decisions, even creating disorders of separation anxiety when the plug is pulled. The dark, black truth of social media brings to light how our future could either be very bleak, or hopefully a more advanced but regulated system of 'open/augmented' global social media.