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Chase Squire
ISLA 303
Paper 1
Hypothetical Ends to Very Real Beginnings
Technological Determinism in Black Mirror
In a capitalistic society, social and economic wealth have stood at the forefront of
first-world values. Although I do not agree with valuing such goals it is undeniable that an
underlying and ever-growing social force to obtain wealth is influencing and determining the
development of new social structures and cultural values. In the last 20 years, the invention of
computer technologies and the internet have led to infinitely more opportunities to reach said
goals. This new age of technology has, in a sense, forgotten the historical values held by previous
generations and created its own set values. Black Mirror explores these transitions of values by
showcasing the extreme hypothetical outcomes if we are to continue on this path. While on
screen, the technology in the hypothetical reality that is Black Mirror shapes the actions of each
character in the 5 episodes, the not so subtle underlying messages stem from the relatability of
the real life values we tradeoff between due to technological advancements.
The episodes “Nosedive”, “Smithereens” and “15 Million Merits” are the most applicable
to our current societal use of technology as they all involve technologies that are currently
accessible to us. Although the technologies showcased in “The Entire History of You” and
“Arkangel” at first do not appear to be directly related to our current situation, the technologies
are not far from becoming a reality in our world and their metaphorical uses do seem to be all too
prevalent in our world today. Technology has allowed for greater opportunities for success yet
question is, how long until technology is the only basis in which success can be achieved? Fame,
which now is represented through technologies such as social media, has become a person's
greatest tool in achieving social mobility. The drive for fame is apparent in today's world and its
effect on values can have detrimental effects on a person’s overall happiness.
In “Nosedive”, “Smithereens” and “15 Million Merits” the episodes all incorporate the
cold and horrifying truths of social media. The current addiction of social media users to
followers, likes, views, notifications, and social appearance is expanded upon in each episode. In
“Nosedive” Lacie’s positive demeanor towards anyone in public was solely for the purpose of
receiving a rating or “fame”. The only time she broke her positivity, before her breakdown, was
in conversations with her brother. The society ruled by rating shaped people to follow a “fake it
till you make it” mentality because the only way to move up through the social structure is
