7 life lessons we learned from Black Mirror

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The series "Black Mirror" consists of separate stories that show the impact of technology on society. And while most of the plots are pretty fantastic, there are many life lessons to be learned from them.

1. Mass media can distract from really important events

The very first episode of the series, titled "National Anthem", tells about the excessive infatuation of modern people with news.

After the abduction of the British princess, the terrorists put forward the only demand - the prime minister must copulate with a pig on the air. All attempts to deceive the kidnappers are unsuccessful, and he fulfills the demand. But it turns out that the princess was released even before the broadcast began, without harming her, but no one noticed her on the street. All watched the broadcast of sexual intercourse on television.

Major mass media have long distracted people from real problems with loud news. It is very easy to show the unseemly actions of politicians, talk about problems in life and in the economy of other countries, forcing people not to notice the shortcomings of their own lives.

Before succumbing to general interest in a topic, think about whether it is important enough for you to spend your time on it.

2. Events on television can be far from reality

In the series "15 Million Merits" the main character Bing gets on the air of the reality show Hot Shot (analogous to the X Factor or "Minutes of Glory"). He wants to expose the creators of the program, who forced his girlfriend to become a porn actress. Threatening to cut his own throat with a shard of glass, Byng delivers a diatribe. But it is this act that raises the ratings of the program even more.

Since then, the hero constantly appears on television, holding the same shard of glass at his throat. But now it is an entertainment show, thanks to which he makes money, speaking supposedly sincere words that expose society and television. After the end of each issue, he carefully puts the glass in the case and enjoys the luxurious life.

Exposing programs, articles with high-profile headlines that promise to bring some famous personalities or companies to the surface, may simply be an attempt by authors to become famous. So they strive to create an image of truth-tellers in order to earn money on it later.

Before you believe such information, think about whether it is confirmed by some real action. After all, the main character of the episode, despite constant threats, never hurt himself.

3. The main punishment for the offender is to be in the victim's place

The main character of the episode "Polar Bear" Victoria wakes up with no memories and finds herself in a frightening society of infected people. She tries to escape, stop the spread of the signal that turns people into zombies, and even finds helpers for herself. But it still turns out to be completely helpless against the outside world.

In White Christmas, two people at a station in a snowy desert confess to each other their crimes. One of them, named Matt, was engaged in torturing digital copies of real people with their own consciousness, and turning them into obedient slaves. Another man, Joe, was responsible for the deaths of two people.

The finale of both episodes shows that each receives a punishment commensurate with the crime. Victoria was complicit in the murder of a little girl and now, day after day, she must experience the same feelings of loss and helplessness that the child experienced before death.

Matt is released, but now he is completely deprived of the opportunity to contact with people. And Joe will be forever alone, listening to the song to which he committed the murder.

Every person who commits or contemplates a crime must understand that punishment is inevitable. At some point, the perpetrator himself may be in the victim's place and experience the same or even more severe suffering.

4. Love cannot be reproduced with a computer

The series "I'll be back soon" raises a topic that has become more acute in recent years. After the husband of the main character Ash died in a car accident, Martha recreates his image using artificial intelligence. First, they exchange messages, and then he turns into an android, in which all the memories are placed.

The new Ash copies his prototype in almost everything. In many ways, he is even better than the original, because he has a more flexible character. But Martha cannot perceive the android as a living person and ends up locking him in the attic.

This plot makes you wonder what a person is. You can completely preserve memories, copy your voice and even your appearance. But attachment cannot be created, because people love each other for something different.

Therefore, you should not think of a person as a set of physical parameters or memories, much less try to replace him with someone or something similar.

5. We've become too addicted to social media

The Dive episode tells about a world where people rate each other using devices similar to modern smartphones. This rating determines whether a person can get into an elite society, live in a prestigious house and even buy plane tickets. People with low ratings become outcasts, because even friendship with them lowers their own rating.

The Instagram stars who have become popular due to the number of subscribers, the desire to be friends only with people from the upper classes - all this is a real reflection of this fictional story. The pursuit of ratings from strangers and the creation of an artificial image on the Internet due to the desire to raise our social status bring our world closer to the one shown in this series.

6. Electoral shock therapy can become a reality

In the episode "The Moment of Valdo," one of the presidential candidates is Valdo, an animated comedy show character voiced by a shy loser comedian. Valdo bases his election campaign on the fact that he jokes and mocks all other candidates, but this is what ensures him high ratings and victory in the elections.

This episode could have remained just a funny irony about the fact that people are too tired of constant lies and promises during the election races, if not for the last year's presidential elections in the United States. Many analysts have compared Donald Trump's presidential campaign to this particular episode.

This is not an episode. This is not marketing. This is reality.

Twitter account of the "Black Mirror" on the night of the US presidential election

7. It is not always possible to believe what you are shown

In the series "People Against Fire" the military in the post-apocalyptic world are engaged in the destruction of mutant freaks. An electronic implant is built into the head of every soldier. It creates erotic dreams, but in reality it helps to navigate the terrain and fight better.

A soldier with a damaged chip discovers that in fact mutants are ordinary people, and implants are forced to see them as freaks. And the world around us also looks quite different from what it seems with a working chip.

Let people not yet massively embed chips in their heads, but the influence of various media on the majority is just as great. It is not difficult to make the crowd consider a certain social category or population of a certain country as enemies, and also to show the world around us not at all as it really is.

Sometimes it is very important to break the unconditional perception of the world through television and the Internet and look at things with your own critical eye.