The Social Dilemma (2020)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A docudrama explores the psychological and societal impacts of social media through a mix of expert testimony and a dramatized narrative of a family's struggle with technology.
The story
The Social Dilemma examines the impact of social media and technology platforms on users, focusing on persuasive design, data collection, and algorithmic prediction. The film argues that companies track and analyze users' online activity in order to build artificial intelligence systems that predict and influence behavior. It highlights the goals of engagement, growth, and advertisement, while also discussing the dangers of fake news and the mental health concerns associated with social media use, particularly among adolescents.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The documentary uses a fictional dramatized narrative to illustrate the issues discussed, centering around a middle-class, average American family. Ben, a teenager, falls into social media addiction and online radicalization; Isla, an adolescent, develops depression from unrealistic beauty standards; and Cassandra, an older teenager, remains free from online manipulation. Their mother and stepfather struggle to curb screen time. The narrative depicts Ben and Isla being driven by Engagement, Growth, and Advertisement AIs, represented by anthropomorphized tech executives in a 'behind-the-screen' control room. After Isla breaks a phone safe, Ben promises to limit his use, but an AI notification about his ex lures him back into 'doomscrolling.' The AIs recommend radical centrist content that devolves into propaganda, leading Ben to an 'Extreme Center' rally where he is detained by riot police. In the end, the AIs merge into one entity while Ben's avatar becomes a human representation of himself, and they stare at each other.
- First release year
- 2020
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jeff Orlowski
- Writers
- Davis Coombe · writer; Vickie Curtis · writer; Jeff Orlowski · writer
- Cast and characters
- Skyler Gisondo · Ben; Kara Hayward · Cassandra; Sophia Hammons · Isla; Chris Grundy · Stepdad; Barbara Gehring · Mother; Vincent Kartheiser · Artificial Intelligence; Catalina Garayoa · Rebecca; Sergio Villarreal · Luiz
- Genres
- docudrama; documentary
- Themes
- technological addiction; fake news; depression; anxiety; behavior modification; psychological manipulation; societal division
- Tone and mood
- sobering; dystopian; alarming
- Premise and plot tags
- social media; artificial intelligence; mental health; data privacy; algorithms
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, praised for its message and expert interviews but criticized for its narrative and lack of nuance. It was viewed in 38 million homes within 28 days of its Netflix release.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100
- Production trivia
- The film's graphics, animation, and visual effects were made by Mass FX Media and produced by Netflix.; The film's music was composed by Mark Crawford, a Primetime Emmy-nominated composer.; A free 40-minute version of the film can be viewed by requesting it through the film's official webpage.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…