The dystopian anthology series Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker, has been extremely accurate in its predictions. It shows a dystopian, tech-obsessed world where social media has affected human behavior.
The shock value of this series took a strange turn in the last few years. The reason? Many of its episodes started to mimic real life. The show started to actually ‘mirror’ our current, tech-obsessed world and how people behave. Black Mirror’s episodes feel less like fiction and more like documentaries now.
Among its most haunting predictions are the ways social media platforms could give rise to addiction, comparisons, and mental health crises.
Social media and influencer culture have taken over, and people cannot live without apps like Instagram.
A recent study found a strong and significant association between social media use, particularly Instagram, and increased depression among young adults.
We look at a few noteworthy episodes and discover how some stories are now so close to the real world.
Nosedive: A World Obsessed With Social Validation
One of the most iconic episodes, “Nosedive” from Season 3, offers a chilling vision of a society where a public rating system dictates people’s social standing. It is just like Instagram’s likes and follower counts.
In this episode, characters live in a colorful dystopia where every interaction is rated on a five-star scale, visible to all via augmented reality. Social media has become the currency of life. Jobs, housing, and relationships depend on maintaining a high score, achieved through constant self-presentation and fake positivity.
The parallels to Instagram are unmistakable. The leading lady of the episode becomes consumed by her ‘rating’. She keeps curating her online persona to gain approval. This mirrors the real-world phenomenon of Instagram users chasing likes, comments, and followers, often at the expense of their mental well-being.
This episode predicted how Instagram’s culture of comparison could trap users in a cycle of anxiety and self-doubt. This theme is now echoed in the Instagram lawsuits, claiming the platform leads to issues like anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.
Hated in the Nation: The Dark Side of Online Harassment
Another episode, “Hated in the Nation,” from Season 3, spotlights the toxicity of online interactions.
Set in a future where social media enables vicious public shaming, the episode explores how hashtag-driven campaigns can spiral into real-world harm. Users can “#DeathTo” someone they dislike, inadvertently triggering deadly consequences via advanced AI.
Now, in the real world, we can see how social media promotes gaslighting and violence. In 2024, Instagram took action against over 10 million pieces of content that were toxic, related to bullying and harassment.
This hashtag-driven mob mentality aligns with Instagram’s role as a platform where trends and viral content can harm individuals. This is extremely dangerous as it makes users vulnerable to mental strain and societal pressure.
White Bear: The Spectacle of Suffering
Season 2’s “White Bear” takes a different but equally disturbing angle, showing a society addicted to consuming others’ pain via media.
The narrative centers on a woman who awakens without memory, only to find herself relentlessly pursued by masked individuals. Bystanders passively record her plight on their devices, similar to Instagram Live.
According to this study, such platforms could lead to a dystopian future of distorted realities. This voyeuristic behavior can transform personal struggles into public spectacles. This, in turn, fuels mental health issues like anxiety and depression among young users pressured to maintain a flawless online image.
As TruLaw notes, this manifests as FOMO (fear of missing out), body image issues, and a relentless drive for validation. These aspects are now central to mental health lawsuits against the platform.
Instagram’s Mental Health Crisis
Black Mirror’s predictions aren’t just theoretical. They already have real-world repercussions, especially in the world of social media. For instance, Instagram’s decision to hide “likes” in some regions was inspired by “Nosedive” according to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri himself.
The platform’s algorithm, designed to maximize screen time, continues to fuel addictive behaviors, aligning with Black Mirror’s vision of technology spiraling out of control.
Lessons From Black Mirror
Unfortunately, some Black Mirror episodes have become a reality. They are highlighting the potential negative impacts of technology despite being fictional. This is a red flag that requires immediate action.
Instagram, for example, could implement stricter content filters or mental health warnings to minimize these harmful effects.
The show reminds us that the responsibility for the potential harm caused by social media lies not only with user behavior but also with the systems we create.
It is even more urgent now that we build a future where technology is used responsibly.