The Internet and social networks have crept into the depths of our lives. These platforms are already part of society and culture, creating not only a large network of connection between people around the world, but even a language of its own. It’s no wonder that this global phenomenon has attracted the attention of the attention of many filmmakers audiovisuals that seek to offer the public their point of view on social media, which sometimes can be pleasant, but sometimes not so much.
These are some of the best social media documentaries that show the best and worst of these platforms.
For all those lovers and also for the detractors of social networks, these are the six must-see documentaries about Social Media:
-“The Social Media Dilemma” (Netflix): “The Social Media Dilemma” is one of the most popular documentaries on Social Media, available on Netflix, offers a point of view at least “alarming” about the effects of networks in our lives in terms of addiction or the level of exposure and loss of privacy that we suffer. In this documentary of more than an hour, we are shown the power of manipulation, polarization and distraction of social networks.
-“Citizenfour” (Filmin): Winner of an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2015, it chronicles the revelation of secret documents, by Edward Snowden, proving the mass surveillance exercised by British and American authorities on the Internet around the world. It not only offers a first-person point of view of one of the most important events of recent times, but also portrays the motivations of Snowden and the journalists who spread the leaks.
-“Lo and Behold: Reveries of a Connected World” (YouTube): Legendary director Werner Herzog takes us on a journey through the entire history of the Internet, from the room in which the Internet was born, to some of the labs where the technologies of the future are being developed, to Elon Musk’s office. The documentary shows the vision of the new technologies of a person who was born in a very different world and who is often unable to understand it.
–“The Great Hack” (Netflix): The documentary flips through the lives of Professor David Carroll, British investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr, and former Cambridge Analytica development director Brittany Kaiser. The three stories intertwine to expose Cambridge Analytica’s work in political manipulation in several countries, including the 2016 American election and the Brexit campaign.
-“Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened” (Netflix): It’s about the story of “Fyre Media,” the failed music festival that was organized as a luxury experience for those bored with “Coachella” and other music festivals. It shows us how the idea of two young entrepreneurs grew in social networks until it escaped their control.
-“The Cleaners” (Filmin): The documentary focuses on one of the most unknown parts of social networks, the work of moderators. It is a raw and realistic look at the work of these people who, on many occasions, have to deal with brutal images and comments. These moderators often work from home and review posts within very strict time frames. The documentary focuses on the stress they are under, the psychological pressure they are under from consuming so much aggressive or brutal content, and the lack of security in their jobs.
