Black Mirror has been one of those pop culture things that people just can’t stop talking about because of the stories it so boldly chooses to showcase. The show itself is described as being set in a science fiction, high-tech near-future world where mankind’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide. The series currently has 5 seasons, with varying episodes that zoom in on a society that is both plagued and privileged with cutting edge technology.

Each episode harbors on a different way technology and humanity has intimately intertwined, with each one opening up more questions than answers by the time credits start rolling out. The common denominator of all episodes is the deep churning viewers get in their gut from looking into themselves, and their own tech-powered motivations, wondering just how far from reality the show is.

Things can get pretty dark and confusing in its stories, with a clear emphasis on how things can go terribly, terribly wrong. As we, in the real-world society, starts to immerse ourselves deeper and deeper into the wonders of technology, the show takes on a more disturbing light. One that we need to fully investigate before we fully commit to the temptations of robots, complete surveillance, media metrics, and more.

 

Here are some episodes to check out that put extra emphasis on the dangers of technology and social media:

The Entire History Of You (Season 1)

In this story, each person has access to a memory implant that records everything humans do, see, or hear, which they can later on play back. But what happens when we remember everything that’s ever happened to us, and other people in our lives can see it for themselves as well? Relationships will be put to the test, as this episode suggests.

Be Right Back (Season 2)

Have you ever wanted to talk to your deceased loved ones again? This universal desire to have more time with people who have passed away is examined in Be Right Back, exploring feelings of grief, loss, and how to move on. When humanity gets the technology to virtually bring back the dead, how exactly would that impact our lives?

Nosedive (Season 3)

Our world as we know it is already social media obsessed as it is, but what Nosedive depicts is what could possibly happen when everything in your life is tied down to your social media rating. This is affected by other people’s rating of you wherever you go, and can impact flight seats, social standing, housing, party invites, and so many more. What makes this episode even more disturbing, is the realization that we’re perhaps living in stage one of this dystopia where social media influence holds more weight than we intend it to have.

Playtest (Season 3)

A traveler low on cash signs up to test out a full-immersion, augmented-reality video game powered by the player’s deepest fears. The episode fully scrutinizes the depths of one’s fear, urging viewers to reflect ask themselves what would appear in their own personal version of the game.

Hang the DJ (Season 4)

Dating apps get a complete upgrade (or downgrade?) in this episode where The System matches users to the most compatible partner, and provides everything from dinner reservations, to the home you’ll be staying throughout the life span of your relationship. One particular couple gets ultimately broken up when their time runs out, with both dreaming of one another while The System takes them around the dating world again and again.