Jeff Orlowski's 2020 Netflix documentary featuring tech insiders (many affiliated with the Center for Humane Technology) warning about the psychological and democratic harms of social media platforms' attention-optimizing algorithms.
The Social Dilemma is the most-watched documentary on tech ethics — it brought Tristan Harris's 'persuasive technology' critique to a mass Netflix audience. The documentary's framing — tech insiders as conscience, not critics from outside — gave it unusual credibility. Its central claim: social media platforms are not neutral tools but environments engineered to maximize engagement through psychological exploitation. Directly contributed to the 2021 Facebook whistleblower moment and congressional tech hearings.
Discussing
Ask anything about The Social Dilemma — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.
Sign in to start a conversation.