Black Mirror is a British anthology series, the title being a reference to the screens we see everyday. A sci-fi nightmare, this show focuses on technology and its use in the near future with a different plot for each episode. This thought provoking series has left its viewers perplexed as they can slowly see our world turning into what looks like an episode of Black Mirror. Charlie Brooker, the creator of the show aims to “not warn but worry its audiences” and it has done just that. It explores themes of mind control, digital immortality, performance merits, over-parenting, ethics, and virtual reality which blend freakishly well with these screens that govern our lives.
‘Nosedive’ is an episode set in a world with a social score system where people rate each other out of five stars based on their interactions, both online and in real life. These ratings determine social status, lose your ratings and you lose practically everything. It is much like the social media platforms we use today and that is what makes it terrifying to watch. Our narcissism and obsession of social validation is brought out through the protagonist, Lacie, who is ever-occupied with her ratings just like everybody else. Eventually, she ends up in jail for showing socially unacceptable behaviour fuelled by her inability to get a higher rating. Prison is liberating for her as she is no longer under any obligation to behave the way the public wants her to.
This Black Mirror nightmare has come true in China which set up its provisions for a ‘Social Credit System’ in 2014 and the programme is expected to be in full swing by 2020. Right now, citizens are scored by either city councils or data holding tech platforms. This is part of China’s ambitious plan to make an omnipresent surveillance network to track where people are and what they're up to. This includes automated monitoring of cameras and an all-in-one app, wechat which is forced to share its data with the government, placing too much power in their hands.
Another episode, ‘The Waldo Moment’ is about a satirical stunt that goes too far. Jamie, a frustrated and failed comedian becomes the puppeteer of a virtual cartoon bear that interviews politicians with an aim to ridicule them. Jamie’s producer enters Waldo into the town’s election for member of parliament and he ends up getting extremely popular amongst the people as they find his character amusing.
Aired four years before Donald Trump’s election as President which blurred the line between politics and entertainment, this episode is eerily similar to his rise to power. It makes us wonder if the American media’s detraction from real political issues to controversy surrounding him led to him gaining political fame. Russian involvement in the 2016 US elections, the NSA still spying on American citizens, Cambridge Analytica and its digital manipulation across the globe, and our very own Indian government leaving Aadhar data unprotected, the world may be heading towards a technological dystopia. In an era where the internet knows you better than yourself, is privacy dead? (Hint: yes it is) Is Black Mirror life imitating art or art imitating life?