Some documentaries simply inform; others disturb and awaken. "The Social Dilemma" falls into the latter category; it’s one of those productions that makes you view your phone differently after watching. Released on Netflix, this documentary explores the unseen mechanics of the social media era while repeatedly asking a simple yet unsettling question: Are we using social media, or is social media using us?

What makes the documentary particularly compelling is not just its critique of technology but the way it presents that critique through insiders, people who previously worked at major tech companies like Google and Facebook.

Engagement over happiness

"The Social Dilemma" centers on the idea that social media platforms are designed not to make users happy, but to keep their attention as long as possible. Their economic model is straightforward: the longer you stay, the more interactions you make, the more you click, the more ads you see. In this system, users often become not customers, but a component of the platform itself. One of the film’s most frequently repeated lines captures this perfectly: "If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.”

Here, the focus is not merely on data collection, but on the value derived from predicting and shaping behavior. It’s not just about knowing who we are; it’s about increasingly precise predictions of what we will like, believe, or feel anger toward and shaping the feed accordingly.

More than just code

The documentary presents algorithms not only as "code” but as matters of choice and values. Algorithms do not form naturally; they are designed. Where design exists, there are goals and guidance. Seemingly innocent areas like "Explore,” "Recommended Videos” or "Your Personalized Feed” can trap users in a self-reinforcing world. The documentary illustrates this through the concepts of the "echo chamber” and "filter bubble,” where people continuously encounter content that confirms their own beliefs. Dissenting perspectives shrink, common ground disappears and polarization deepens. The film emphasizes that this is not merely an individual choice, but a systemic plan.

One of the most unsettling and powerful aspects of "The Social Dilemma" is the concept of behavioral engineering. Platforms learn users’ attention thresholds, emotional triggers and vulnerabilities, then organize content flows to prompt engagement. The goal is not access to accurate information but to spread the content that generates the most interaction. Anger, fear, scandal, exclusion and extreme viewpoints spread faster than others. The documentary underscores a critical point: social media exploits the most easily manipulated aspects of human psychology, transforming a technological issue into a societal one.

Real-life impact

The documentary is not composed solely of interviews; it also incorporates dramatized reenactments. Through the lens of a family, it explores social media addiction and the relationship with screens. Some viewers may find these scenes didactic, but the goal is less about artistic depth and more about making abstract concepts like addiction, data, and algorithms visible in everyday life. When such concepts remain theoretical, their impact diminishes; the documentary aims to touch viewers’ real lives.

Strengths, limitations

"The Social Dilemma" has several notable strengths. Insider testimony lends credibility, framing the issue not as an individual weakness but as a structural and economic-political problem. The relationship between algorithms and psychology is explained clearly and accessibly, leaving viewers with the sense that "this is more than just technology.”

On the other hand, the documentary sometimes veers toward a technological apocalypse narrative. Positive aspects of social media, such as organization, easy communication and information access, receive less attention. Proposed solutions are brief relative to the film’s impact. Yet these shortcomings do not diminish its value, because the documentary is less an academic report and more a powerful call for societal awareness.

Core message: Attention as power

The underlying message resonates deeply: whereas past centuries’ struggles revolved around land, resources and production, today’s battles occur in a more invisible realm, through the mind and attention. Capturing attention is not merely about stealing time; it is a force that shapes identity, values, thinking patterns and social discourse.

The documentary leaves viewers with a crucial question: can attention that is constantly guided throughout a lifetime ever be truly free? "The Social Dilemma" does not urge viewers to abandon social media entirely; rather, it warns that social media is not as innocent as it seems. Its purpose is fulfilled when viewers realize: every scroll is not a neutral choice, every recommendation is not unbiased and every "like” is not as inconsequential as it appears. Sometimes, the greatest change begins with a single second of pause before picking up the phone. Perhaps the film’s true success lies here: while discussing social media, it forces viewers to reflect on themselves.