Black Mirror is a show on Netflix that is made for the purpose of opening people’s eyes to the prevalence and danger of technology in society. It highlights all of the focus that people have put on this fast growing market and all of the ways that it could bring detriment to human society. The scary thing? It all takes place very close in the future. Think about it. The Internet was invented in 1959 and released to the public in 1969. That was 48 years ago. Cell phones were released to the public in 1983. That is only 34 years ago. Look at how far our technology has come since then! Our progress in this field is extremely rapid. What happens 50 years down the line when we’ve found eye contacts that project screens from the lens like they do in spy movies? How long until we can keep memories forever and play them back with the click of a button? How long until we create autonomous organisms to help the planet, and in turn all of these have repercussions? This show has a lot of possible answers that are less than optimal. It brings a lot of questions, and for most, it’s an uncomfortable, scary topic, because there’s just no known outcome.

After all of the hype over the last couple of years and shrugging the Black Mirror show suggestion off of my shoulders, I finally sat down and watched an episode for the first time two weeks ago. My view of the world and technology has not been the same since, and I have found that the show is intense in the most influential ways. In fact, it’s not insane because of how unbelievable it is, but because it is completely believable. With all of the wonderful things that technology brings, it also brings a lot of danger and active responsibility. Black Mirrors does an EXCELLENT job of pointing out all of the good that comes with the bad and uses that understanding to show how potentially deadly and morbid our world can become because of our curiosity. Ever heard the term “curiosity killed the cat?” This show proves that quote to be extremely true, and you won’t be able to turn off the screen.

After watching all 3 seasons, which are all very short, I compiled a list of all of the reasons you NEED to watch Black Mirror on Netflix.

1. You don’t realize how much you rely on social media until you watch Season 3: Episode 1, “Nosedive.”

In a world where everyone’s lives are based on their "rate," it’s eye-opening. How many times do you post a photo on social media and watch the likes go up? How many times have you gotten that giggly feeling when you get more likes than you expected, or when a specific person likes a photo? I applaud those that don’t rely on their social media accounts, but I definitely have some adjusting to do. Social media is a dangerous addiction where many people place their self worth, or find first impressions of other people. People tend to look perfect on social media because they can. It should be used as a reference, not a final judgment.

2. The topics are all very realistic and prevalent to society.

You could see the topics in this show as very surface level, or you could find the deeper meanings and see the extreme likeness that these absurd societies have with ours.

3. You won’t be able to turn off your screen.

There is a comical amount of irony in that statement. Once you start this show, it will be close to impossible to stop watching the episode. The point of the show is to open your eyes to the amount of time we spend on screens and technology so that you will become more aware. There is a lot of irony in the fact that you can’t turn off the screen.

4. Each episode is a mini movie.

You can start on any episode and not feel lost. I don’t know about you, but that is so nice when I don’t feel like getting super emotionally invested in a set of characters, and just want to look for a quick, interesting watch.

5. The episodes range from mind-blowing to extremely morbid and scary.

Each episode is terrifying, just in different ways. Some are scary because they don’t seem very far off. Others are terrifying simply because they are so messed up. It’s a mix of The Purge and Interstellar.

6. Society needs to stay aware.

As a student, I think that is important to consistently learn new things and open my eyes to wrongs in society that need to be fixed. Though I don’t think technology is a bad idea, I do think that there are many things that need to be monitored. Technology is uncharted territory, and because of that, no one knows what it will look like in the future. Society need to keep moving forward and advancing, and technology is not a negative thing. Using too much of it, though, could turn into a massive catastrophe.

7. It’s important to be mindful of what we do with our future, especially as Millennials.

Growing up in the generation of eyes glued to phones and social media controlling our universe, it’s been easy to ignore the dangers until now. This show has made me rethink my view on how much technology use, and made me think ‘maybe my mom has a point.’ We need some moderation.

I urge you to watch this show, not just because it is absolutely riveting, but because it is important to take a moment and look at what society could turn to if we stay dependent on technology. Using technology in moderation is a wonderful thing. Having an extreme dependence is where it gets dangerous.

So, as a final thought, when you finally do turn off the screen, who do you see in the Black Mirror?