Technology is something that has become an essential piece of our everyday lives. We rarely leave the house without our cellphones, the majority of our work is done on computers, and a lot of our leisure time is spent around electronics. The popular Netflix series Black Mirror is a show that focuses heavily on society’s dependence on technology, with many of its episodes taking place in the not so distant future where technology has advanced.

While some of the technological innovations in Black Mirror, like truly immersive video games and memory projectors, might seem pretty cool in theory, there are others that are nothing short of horrifying.

1. Blocking Real People

There’s always that one person who drives you crazy on Facebook or Twitter, someone who doesn’t shut up or know when to leave you alone. So what do you do in a case like that? You block them. Suddenly your feed is free from their constant ramblings and you don’t need to see them any longer. But don’t you sometimes wish that you could block people in real life, too?

Well, in Black Mirror in the concept may not be as great as it seems. While the idea of blocking someone entirely out of your life may seem like paradise for some, take a second to consider the consequences of it. You and a friend get into a stupid argument, and suddenly you’re blocked. The block cannot be removed until the person who blocked you decides to remove it themselves.

Maybe they stay mad about that fight for a month, or even for years. But because you’re blocked, you’re unable to even attempt to apologize or fix the situation. General communication becomes impossible when you can’t see or hear someone, and small misunderstandings can turn into a living nightmare.

2. Human Ranking System

Tools like Yelp or Rotten Tomato are useful to us when we want to know how a restaurant or movie has been rated by other people. Even seeing how certain products have been rated on Amazon or eBay help us in deciding if we’d like to purchase them or not. However, what if you could rate actual people like that as well? And I’m not referring to the way you rate your service at a restaurant or your Uber driver.

The episode of Black Mirror titled, “Nosedive”, shows off a social media system in which you can rate individuals who you meet in everyday life on a scale of 0 to 5 stars. This means that every person has their own rating based on what others think of them. A system like this leads to a lot of fake behavior, making it difficult for one to be themselves. After all, they don’t get downvoted by those around them.

The thought of having people constantly judging you, and then having a rating system for it is nothing short of terrifying. This holds especially true when you need a certain rating in order to be allowed into specific places, or when you want to make a good first impression on someone but only have a 3-star rating.

3. Arkangel

The episode, “Arkangel,” presents something that just might be every helicopter parent’s dream. Consider being able to watch every single thing your child does via tablet. It would certainly make life much easier if the child were ever to get lost or go missing. Or how about being able to block out things from your child’s vision that scare them and cause them to cry? I mean, every parent wants their child to be happy and not afraid. It’s basically a dream come true when it comes to keeping your kids safe.

But what happens when those kids become teenagers with independence and thoughts of their own? If your teen is angry that you track their cellphone location, imagine how angry they’d be if you were watching their every move on a date. Or, if you’re constantly blocking out the things they’re afraid of, then how can they ever learn to properly function in society by managing their stressors?

A tool that could be used by a helicopter parent to constantly keep watch over their grown child could potentially prevent the child from learning to be an adult on their own. Not to mention, it could result in the destruction of trust built between them and ultimately end in their relationship falling apart.

4. Robot Guard Dogs

A lot of people like to have a guard dog who they know will keep their home safe from intruders. It gives them a sense of security at night to know that they’re being protected by their loyal companion. But while a dog might be man’s best friend, the same cannot be said for mindless, faceless, robotic versions of them.

The episode of Black Mirror called, “Metalhead”, shows a world overrun by robotic dogs whose only mission seems to be killing just about anyone who crosses their path. This episode shows the horrors of what can potentially happen when robotic entities take their jobs to the extreme and seem to develop a will of their own. If you thought being chased by a real dog was scary, imagine being chased by one made of metal who never stops hunting you down.

However, while a world overtaken by robot dogs may seem too far off to imagine, maybe we should be careful since Boston Robotics appears to be developing something incredibly similar — especially since they’re learning to fight back.

Which episode of Black Mirror frightened you the most? Or perhaps, which piece of technology would you like to see recreated in real life? But maybe when considering that you should keep in mind to be careful what you wish for...