THE SOCIAL DILEMMA
Timely, compelling look at the dangers of social media.
Should You Watch It?
If social media shapes your household, this documentary gives you important reasons to pay attention. Interviews with former technology executives, psychologists, and social media employees explain how Big Tech business models can manipulate users and encourage addiction. The film also stresses parenting, authority, civil discourse, absolute truth, honesty, and human connection.
The dramatized family story makes the warnings personal, though those scenes sometimes distract from or cheapen the interviews. The documentary also includes news footage of riots and bombings, a discussion of suicide, one obscenity, and references to evolution.
Teenagers and adults can gain a revealing perspective here, especially if they are ready to think carefully about their own habits. Parents of younger children should use discernment. For most families with middle schoolers and older, this is worth watching together and discussing afterward.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESFormer executives and employees from major technology and social media companies discuss the unintended and intentional consequences of the industry they helped build. Their interviews are interspersed with dramatized scenes centered on Ben, a high school boy addicted to his phone, along with news footage and commentary about social media’s effects on individuals and society.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a highly effective documentary, even though it has a noticeable weakness. Its investigative-style interviews provide a compelling and timely inside look at how Big Tech companies and social media outlets can manipulate and harm children and adults.
The dramatized portion helps illustrate the interviews and the psychology of phone and social media addiction. At times, however, those scenes distract from the interviews and cheapen the movie’s message. Still, the documentary offers several scientifically backed solutions for slowing social media’s negative physiological and psychological effects.
The Worldview
The documentary presents a strong moral worldview. It argues that if people cannot agree on something as true, there is no room for meaningful conversation. It stresses absolute truth, honesty, civil discourse, parenting authority, and human connection.
The film also points out the harmful addictive qualities that Big Tech companies intentionally implement in social media. It treats people as human beings rather than commodities and raises ethical questions about business models built around monetization. The documentary offers ways to mitigate these harms, while warning that society may be slow to recognize the problem and act.
The film’s worldview aligns with biblical concern for truth, honesty, wise authority, and genuine relationships. However, it includes two references to evolution concerning human psychology and the age of the earth. Its central call to recover truth and human connection is consistent with Jesus’ words: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral worldview where one of the central messages is that if you can’t agree on something to be true then there’s no room for conversation, plus movie points out the harmful addictive qualities that Big Tech companies intentionally implement in social media, strong examples of good parenting and parents having authority, civil discourse is encouraged, and movie stresses the need for absolute truth, honesty and human connection, but there are two mentions of evolution in relation to human psychology and the age of the earth
Foul Language
One use of an “s” word
Violence
Some strong and light violence includes depictions of rioting, bombings and violence on the news, fictionalized portrayal of people getting arrested at a protest, one part of the movie talks about how social media has driven suicide rates way up, and a fictionalized depiction of the phycological effects of getting bullied on social media
Sex
No sex
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
No alcohol
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs but addiction to social media is compared to addiction to drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Interviewees point out some of the intentional dishonesty coming Big Tech companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The documentary stresses the importance of truth in public conversation. Why is agreement about truth necessary for meaningful dialogue?
John 8:31–32 · Ephesians 4:25What authority should parents exercise over technology in the home, and how can that authority serve rather than merely control children?
Ephesians 6:1–4 · Proverbs 22:6The film describes social media as treating people like commodities. How does Scripture say people should be treated instead?
Genesis 1:27 · Philippians 2:3–4What habits could help your family protect human connection and practice self-control with technology?
1 Corinthians 6:12 · Galatians 5:22–23The Final Word
This is a compelling, timely documentary with an important message for families living in a digital age. Its troubling material calls for discernment, especially with younger children, but its warnings and practical solutions are worth discussing. WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UP.
