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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 9 september 2020
Review: Put down that phone, urges doc 'The Social Dilemma'

By MARK KENNEDY The film nicely delves into
AP Entertainment Writer how algorithms that seek to
"The Social Dilemma" is the maximize advertising rev-
first film you'll watch and im- enue tap into psychology
mediately want to toss your to keep us addicted to our
smartphone into the gar- screens. Did a friend just
bage can. And then toss tag me? I got an alert! Hey,
the garbage can through Facebook just invited me
the window of a Facebook to an event. Those are all
executive. "positive intermittent rein-
It's an eye-opening look forcements" and they keep
into the way social media us checking our phone for
is designed to create ad- more, like a gambler hop-
diction and manipulate our ing for a windfall at a Ve-
behavior, told by some of gas slot machine.
the very people who super- Whether or not these tech-
vised the systems at places This image released by Netflix shows Skyler Gisondo in a scene from "The Social Dilemma." niques were actively em-
like Facebook, Google Associated Press ployed, stumbled upon or
and Twitter. Tim Kendall, a just a byproduct of a user-
former president of Pinter- ploys a gimmicky family of no agency other than its is not the way to go. engagement model is a
est, admitted that years five actors — two parents, program. Why humanize The silly dramatizations mar little murky. The film offers
ago he couldn't get off three teens — to dramatize code? And why humanize an otherwise excellent all sides as to whether soft-
his phone even when he the lure of social media in a code by portraying it as a documentary that shows ware makers consciously
came home, despite hav- clunky way. sleazy middle-aged man how so many Silicon Val- exploit human vulnerabili-
ing two young kids. "I am Worse, he also employs who acts like a mid-level ley leaders designed ways ties: The guy who helped
going to work during the an actor — a weirdly cast officer in "Minority Report"? to keep us engaged online create the "like" button for
day and building some- Vincent Kartheiser of "Mad The film then steps on it- and that led to such things Facebook says he wanted
thing that then I'm falling Men" fame — to pretend self. When one of the fake as Pizzagate, international to spread love in the world
prey to," he says in the film. to act like the computer teens falls for a fake online destabilization,higher sui- but a former Facebook ex-
"I couldn't help myself." software, sending alluring conspiracy and attends a cide rates in young people ecutive admits purposely
The documentary is a well phone alerts from a console fake demonstration, it's jux- and a boom in depression. creating dopamine-driven
paced, absorbing look at to one of the teens and cu- taposed against real foot- The film reveals much more feedback loops. If there is a
the deep costs of Big Tech ing up videos he knows will age of real violence and than why you go from hero here it is portrayed by
— fake news, election se- be clickbait, while ominous real demonstrations, mud- Googling the best sofa one Tristan Harris, an ex-Google
curity concerns, radicaliza- music plays. dying the water between minute to finding sofa ads executive who is now co-
tion, polarization and much "Yes, perfect," Kartheiser fake and real — a terrible on your Facebook stream founder of the Center for
more. Only in trying to dra- purrs after sending a video decision given what this the next. That so much on- Humane Technology and
matize those costs does it of epic skateboard fails to film is about. line seems free is part of the who hopes to change the
slip up badly. the teen. "He's primed for Orlowski would have done trap: It's our private data system. He and critics like
Director Jeff Orlowski inter- an ad!" Later: "Don't show better interviewing real that's being sold. As Aza Jaron Lanier, author of
views former tech execs, him any more sports up- teens buffeted by social Raskin, former Firefox and "Ten Arguments for Delet-
historians and social scien- dates. He doesn't engage." media and real people Mozilla Lab worker says: ing Your Social Media Ac-
tists but apparently doesn't But we know — from the caught up in conspiracies. "Advertisers are the cus- counts Right Now," explain
trust them enough to tell very talking heads — that Insulting our intelligence tomers. We're the thing be- what the possible conse-
the story. So he also em- this is an algorithm with about artificial intelligence ing sold." quences are if we continue
using our individual digital
Andrew Lloyd Webber warns arts ‘at point of no return’ pacifiers — lots of cat vid-
eos, yes, and also civil war.
Stick around after the film is
theaters to be allowed He added that theater over to hear lots of recom-
to reopen. Lloyd Webber shows are "not like cin- mendations from former
spoke about the struggles ema, you can't just open tech leaders who built the
of staging socially dis- the building." mess we're in: They turn off
tanced shows and mak- In July, Lloyd Webber's their notifications. They de-
ing them profitable, noting company staged a pi- lete many apps. They urge
that very few shows "hit the lot concert featuring soul regulation. They don't let
jackpot" like "Hamilton," singer Beverley Knight at their kids use social media.
"Lion King" or "Phantom." the London Palladium to
"We simply have to get our test coronavirus-era safety Think about that.q
arts sector back open and measures like separat- Solution Sudoku
running ... We are at the ing clusters of seats and
point of no return, really," mandatory mask wearing.
he told Parliament's Digi- The theater boss hoped
tal, Culture, Media and that the trial performance
In this file photo dated Thursday, May 3, 2018, Andrew Lloyd
Webber is interviewed at Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Sport Committee by vid- could show how theaters
Angeles, USA. eo. "There comes a point can open at full capacity
Associated Press when we really can't go safely.
on anymore. Theatre is an Asked about whether he
LONDON (AP) — "The lawmakers that the arts incredibly labour-intensive has a message for the
Phantom of the Opera" are "at the point of no re- business. In many ways, British government, Lloyd
composer Andrew Lloyd turn," and urged the gov- putting on a show now is Webber said: "Give us a
Webber has told British ernment to set a date for almost a labor of love." date" to reopen.q
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