My professor asked us to watch Season 5, Episode 2 “Smithereen” of the series “Black Mirror” on Netflicks this week, since we’ve been studying digital communications. I was excited to watch it because he was so intrigued by the issues that the episode brought to light. And I agree, it was a wild ride!

Here’s a brief recap. A rideshare driver in England parks in front of a particular office building each day. He asks his passengers if they work there until he finally gets one, a young intern running an errand for his boss. Unfortunately, the driver thinks that the intern is someone of authority at the company (Smithereen, a social media site) and kidnaps him. Turns out, he was angry at the company for distracting him while driving and causing a fatal accident and the death of his girlfriend.

The driver eventually gets noticed by police who see him whiz by with the intern’s head covered. After backing the police away by threatening to kill his hostage, the driver gets the intern to call the founder of the company to demand that he listen to his story of loss. The founder has more information on the driver than the police. Eventually has a conversation with the driver that results in his admission that social media is addictive….and that he himself is not happy with where the platform is going.

Before they hang up he agrees to have his buddy at Persona, another social media site, help with a favor. To give the Persona password of the deceased daughter of a friend of the driver’s to her grieving mom. The girl committed suicide months before and her mother had not been able to see her final posts.

My thoughts about the episode?

The writing was brilliant and imaginative.

Rideshare is dangerous, but we do it anyway because it’s cheap and convenient. I am most guilty of driving with strangers as I travel 75% for my job. Scary.

Social media is addicting and I don’t think we know how much it can harm us until it’s too late.

Next of Kin should definitely have the opportunity to see a deceased user’s content. I imagine that the social networking sites don’t want to open themselves to liability. It’s all about liability these days, not doing what’s right.

Police need greater partnership with social media companies. Clearly they have better tools.

Social media platforms have a lot of power and they’re not giving it up. Also, we gave it to them with little resistance.

How many times do we need to lose people in fatal car accidents before we put down the mobile phones?

How can leaders of social media sites find more balance. How do they sleep at night?

We live in fascinating times.

#SUdigcomm