The internet was conceived and often operates as a utility. In the beginning, it was free to those who had the hardware and skill to use it, but as more and more businesses and cultures became tied to the internet, things changed, first with internet service providers, then with regulation and deregulation.
Today, digital advertising dominates the internet, having ballooned into a full-fledged segment of the modern economy with half-trillion dollars passing through it each year. The concept of the free net has been abused by these advertisers, allowing them access to individuals and their information. The Click Trap talks with experts in advertising and law about the more recent changes and impacts internet advertising has on our society and culture.
I’ll get my complaints out of the way: The Click Trap is practically dripping with pop-doc sensibilities many serious documentary viewers loathe, it repeats the same points over and over again in a way that betrays its lack of trust in the audience, and it occasionally contradicts itself, trying to portray some of these companies as innocent bystanders in the implementation of their own business plans.
Those issues aside, The Click Trap is a very accessible documentary. There is little technical discussion, meaning just about anyone can understand the points made by the experts interviewed. There are some excellent takes and warnings about scammers and a great investigation into how they operate via web advertising. The documentary also includes some good discussion of how the advertising industry and social media literally profit from misinformation, anger, and hate.
If your library patrons enjoy pop documentaries or need easy-to-access resources on the politicization of the internet in recent years, The Click Trap is an excellent choice. Its style and lack of depth will not appeal to fans of documentary filmmaking, however, as they are not the target audience. Recommended.
What kind of college instructor could use this title?
The Click Trap has a place in introductory advertising courses. It would also be a solid option for a public screening to educate seniors on web safety and technology.