If you haven't seen Black Mirror still, stop what you're doing and load the first episode on Netflix. Look at it, take it all and then come back here. That first episode is a great introduction to what the show is about, but you have to experience it to understand it.
Can't you see now? Every episode of Black Mirror It is a standalone story. The settings, plots, characters, and even the actors are completely different between episodes. But one theme unites them all:an exploration of the unintended consequences brought about by new and emerging technologies.
Think of it as the near future twilight zone With a touch of social commentary. It's good. It makes you think. And sometimes it can be downright horrifying. This is what Black Mirror It has to say about people, society and technology..
Slight spoilers ahead, especially to describe the premises of certain episodes. However, plot twists and defining moments of the episode won't be spoiled.
How is the future for you? For most it means hovercars, teleporters, metallic environments, what a futuristic city of 2040 will look like, what a futuristic city of 2040 will look like, we don't need a crystal ball to show us what the cities of the future will look like. Imagination and CGI are at work, and today's fringe technologies could be commonplace in the future. Read more, intelligent robots and space travel. In addition to all the other novel ideas presented by speculative fiction. For most people, it doesn't feel As if we were living in the future. Still.
But if we stop and think about it for a moment, it becomes clear that we are already here. In fact, many of the gadgets and devices we use today were considered to be futuristic. We are in the future:4 science fiction technologies that already exist. We are in the future:4 science fiction technologies that already exist. We tend to take technology for granted, and when we do, it's easy to forget that we are in fact already living in the future in many ways. Read more.
One of the things you'll learn from watching Black Mirror is that the future is defined more by how We use the technologies available to us that why why those technologies really do.
For example, Vertical chopping (Season 3 Episode 1) explores a society where everything, like your ability to rent an apartment in an upper-class neighborhood, is determined by your Rating on the ubiquitous social network we're all a part of. It's unsettling to watch, mainly because it's clear this could happen right now If society changed just a little bit.
Very exciting episode. Shut up and dance (Season 3, Episode 3) depicts the life of a boy who is blackmailed into committing increasingly illegal crimes. And all because they were spying on you with a hacked webcam Why you should disable or cover your webcam right now Why you should disable or cover your webcam right now If you're not careful, hackers can easily access your webcam and spy on you without your knowledge. So you have two options:disable the camera or cover it. Read more . There is nothing new about webcams, but the interest lies in how that webcam is used.
Episodes like these are disturbing because they show us that we already live in a future where this kind of malevolent malice is possible.
Someone who gets all 13 episodes of Black Mirror drunk you might walk away with the impression that Charlie Brooker (the show's creator) thinks technology is the devil. Or, at least, the root of everything that is wrong in society. But I think that misses the subtleties of what it's really trying to convey.
Technology is neither good nor bad. Or rather, technology can be good or bad, it is simply a tool in the hands of people..
Throughout the series, we see bad people using technology to further their evil plans, mostly as a way to get normal people to do bad things. The National Anthem (Season 1 Episode 1), for example, focuses on a prime minister who must have sex with a pig on live TV to save his daughter from being held hostage..
There is nothing inherently wrong with the technologies shown, they are what they are. It's the old "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" argument. Weapons are not inherently evil, but they can be used in evil ways. The technology is no different.
On the other hand, sometimes the terrors of technology aren't even related to human malice. Playtest (Season 3, Episode 2) features a near future story revolving around the concepts of neural implants. Plugging in your brain and body - The future of implanted computers Plugging in your brain and body - The future of implanted computers With the current trend of technical innovation and advancement, now is a good time to explore the state of the art in technologies computer and human. Read more and augmented reality Augmented reality vs. Virtual:What's the difference? Augmented reality vs. Virtual:What's the difference? Augmented reality. Virtual reality. Mixed reality. What are all these "realities" and how will they impact you in the years to come? Here you have everything you need to know. Read More
This feels like one of Charlie Brooker's standouts in all of Black Mirror. Series, especially in the early episodes:This notion that technology, no matter how great and amazing, will never meet the deepest human needs.
An episode like Fifteen million merits (Season 1 Episode 2) wants to convince us that our growing infatuation and addiction to technology is nothing more than a mechanism to cope with the void. How to recognize and overcome your addiction to technology. How to recognize and overcome your addiction to technology. It doesn't mean ending the use of that technology, it just means using technology to improve the quality of life. This guide shows you how to manage your cravings online. Read more . The episode says more than this, of course, but it's one of many points being made, and by the end of the episode, it's hard not to sit back and realize that, yes, technology alone is nothing more than a beautiful gift box with nothing inside.
And in some cases, technology can even amplify that sense of futility. 5 Ways Technology Could Be Fueling Your Depression 5 Ways Technology Could Be Fueling Your Depression Technology can make depression worse. With technology enveloping our lives, we should be more aware of technology's potential impact on us. There are a few things you can do to lessen the load. Read more . Depression is a growing problem, and flashy gadgets and new breakthroughs are temporary distractions from the core issues that exist in the background.
No episode sums it all up better than Be Right Back (Season 2 Episode 1), a story about loss, grief, and how far we might be willing to go when a loved one is taken from us. Would you replace your late husband or wife with a robot that was made to look and act like them? Would that be enough to ease your pain?
It's a tough question, and Brooker maintains that it isn't. There is something unique about the human experience that technology can never replace or replicate, and if we neglect this truth, it will be at our peril.
Again, if you haven't seen the show yet, move it to the front of your watchlist and see how it swoops in. The pros and cons of compulsively watching television The pros and cons of compulsively watching television It's a recent activity. phenomenon that almost everyone has done thanks to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. But for all its various pros, it also has some downsides. Read more . There are only 13 episodes (at the time of writing), so it won't take long - only two weeks if you watch one episode per day.
But once you've seen it, come back here and tell us what you took from it. It's the kind of show that generates a lot of discussion, and I'm sure there are a lot of points I haven't gotten, so it would be good to talk about.
What do you like about Black Mirror ? What don't you like about it? Do you have something interesting to say or is it completely complete and pointless? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
