Black Mirror is a British show first broadcast in 2011. It is a compendium of stories that are all unique and are set in different hypothetical worlds. They share one theme however, and that is the effect of technology on humanity. Though the episodes are very sci-fi and arguably outlandish, they reveal a very genuine issue within our society today. In this century, we are subject to a new set of circumstances in the realm of technology. Having a portable computer is a social norm, and social media is ingrained in our culture as well. We use technology to connect with people from different parts of the world, create works of art, buy products, and even to raise funds for charities. At the same time, we use technology for things like drowning out the rest of the world, distracting ourselves from responsibilities, and rating people based on their looks and presentations of themselves on social media. So without further ado, here is my own anthology of my favorite Black Mirror quotes reflecting on humanity today, some of which explain the effect technology is having on it.
1. “Nosedive” Season 3, Episode 1
“I miss the normal you, before this obsession, where we had conversations, remember? This whole ranking thing…comparing yourself to people who only pretend to be happy…” –Ryan
2. “The Waldo Moment” Season 2, Episode 3
“He doesn’t stand for anything.” -Jamie
“Well at least he doesn’t pretend to. We don’t need politicians, we’ve all got IPhones and computers, right? So any decision that has to be made, any policy, we just put it online. Let the people vote.” –Jack
3. “Men Against Fire” Season 3, Episode 5
“Humans. You know we give ourselves rep, but we’re genuinely empathetic as a species. I mean, we don’t actually really want to kill each other, which is a good thing. Until your future depends on wiping out the enemy.” –Arquette
4. “Playtest” Season 3, Episode 2
“Look in the mirror behind you. Do you recognize yourself? Do you even know who you’re looking at?” -Katie
“I don’t know who I am…” –Cooper
5. “Hated in the Nation” Season 3, Episode 6
“Thanks to the technological revolution, we have the power to rage and accuse, spout bile without consequence.” –Garrett
6. “White Christmas” Season 2, Episode 4
“I was still hopeful that she would get in touch, or at least remove the block so that I could contact her, but no. And it doesn’t just block them, it blocks every image of them, so every memory I had of her was vandalized.”
7. “Fifteen Million Merits” Season 1, Episode 2
“There’s only so much wonder we can bear, that’s why when you find any wonder whatsoever you dole it out in meager portions, and only then till it’s augmented and packaged and pumped through ten thousand pre-assigned filters, till it’s nothing more than a meaningless series of lights, while we ride day-in, day-out — going where? Powering what? All tiny cells in tiny screens and bigger cells in bigger screens…” –Bing
Maybe you can learn something from this article, and if you decide to watch it, Black Mirror. I know that it taught me a lot about the things I could potentially be missing out on because of technology. Don’t get me wrong, technology is a fantastic tool to use in our daily lives. It’s only when we let it consume us, that it gets out of hand. As the creator of Black Mirror would say, “If technology is a drug- and it does feel like a drug- then what, precisely, are the side-effects?”.
