Black Mirror - Shut Up and Dance (Part 1 of a 3 part Series)

Finally, there is a  series that brought the Twilight Zone into  the modern age. My daughter talked me into checking out Black Mirror on Netflix. I am skeptical, but I gave a shot.To my surprise, the series brought the spirit of the Twilight Zone, and examined contemporary issues surrounding technology.

Many episodes expose how our lives have been conditioned to revolve around algorithms. Ironically, Netflix is a great example when you think about it. It recommends movies that you "might" like based on algorithms created by your viewing. Patterns of behavior guided by behavior analysis. This is the world we live in, and their is a dark side. For this reason, I am going to suggest 3 episodes from the series that are a must watch.

Shut Up and Dance takes us down the dark side of a carefully planned algorithm. The episode consists of vignettes of technology impacted interactions among individuals. They will cross paths based on a series of algorithms that encourage them to commit crimes or be shamed for personal indiscretions. This was a common story line in the Twilight Zone. Ultimately, it is easy to manipulate human behavior towards a dark path.

Technology has a dark side, that can utilize our brain's sub-conscious layers that lead to dark thoughts. This episode captures how men, are easily manipulated by their poor choices exposed by technology. While set in the future, we can use technology today to have similar results. The parallel universe of the Black Mirror is why I love this series, because similar to the Twilight Zone, the dangers that exist in the future are currently here today. We just have to recognize them.