The documentary “The social dilemma” features the example of fake news that causes violence resulting from the polarization of society and manipulations in the media. People rarely think about the causes of their intense emotions, and when they see fake news with accurate information, they do not check the facts. As the guest in the documentary states, the strong emotional response that social media provoke “enforces you into a vicious cycle” the person cannot end (Orlowski, 2020). Moreover, as the documentary suggests, social media has authority that is not doubted by most individuals, which makes fake news credible. Fake news appeals to human logic, emotions, and authority to make the events believable according to the classical rhetoric principles, and this approach to language is effective (Orlowski, 2020). The cinematographic techniques, including focusing on the most emotionally touching details like the child’s tears, cause dramatic effects. The Delhi violence illustrates the negative impact of fake news and its significant contribution to the rise of aggression among people (Orlowski, 2020). In general, fake news uses the same language and visual proofs as the truth, a severe concern in the modern world.
Manipulation leads to the role reversal of a human and social media. In contemporary society, a human is not an independent thinker who makes their own decisions. Instead of it, they become the product of manipulations with the news, ideas, and product promotion. Daniel Hövermann states in the documentary, “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product” (Orlowski, 2020). In other words, when people scroll the content on social media, they see numerous propositions of the products they might like and purchase. When they click on these products, they make their choice, and the business receives its profit. The peculiar detail is that the demographic information about the particular social media user determines the type of products that might interest them and the language people from this age and social group use (Orlowski, 2020). Thus, the individual does not make a free choice while searching for the content or products in the media. Instead of it, they become the products themselves whose attention is captured by a marketer.
Therefore, manipulation indirectly influences the person’s perception of reality in the interests of a particular political, economic, or social group. The documentary develops this topic, expanding the hypothesis about the potential addiction of young people to social media and its adverse impact on their mental health. It is not the only controversial effect of using social media. It also contributes to the polarization of society and violence caused by the differences in opinions and the actual reversal of power when the person becomes the product the social media uses to achieve the goals.
Reference
Orlowski, J. (2020). The social dilemma [Video]. Netflix.