I’m of an age where I remember life before social media. I’m lucky - it was a beautiful time. I’m taking it back. I like being private about my business. Thanks for this.

Im a student in high school and this was a assignment for us to watch this video and answer questions and I was going to do the usual skip through the video get the answers and be done but I ended up watching the whole video because I've never been as aware on the problem with social media until now. This video made me understand why I am a certain way and how my friends are in ways. The problem with social media is that everyone wants to feel as if they have approval and if they are good enough for the liking of others.

Every time I say people are being manipulated, they call me a troll. So I just quit most of social media. Things are crazy.

I gave up social media years ago. It did wonders for me. The people who know me, know how to get a hold of me.

The older I get, the more glad I am that my parents kept me off of social media until I was adult.

I don't say this often. After stumbling across your page here...watching many of your videos over the last few months...I find your absolutey unbiased, logical, well-thought approaches to be quite refreshing in this polarized society. I am quite envious of your wisdom. I live alone. These last few years I found myself disgusted with...well...people. judgemental, opinionated, narcissistic, even violent. So, I literally walked away from it. All of it. Right, left, conservative, liberal...all became bullshit for me. And don't get me started about dating. I count 4 people among my friends...I have acquaintances, but only 4 people I trust. I am a recluse...keep to myself...for the last 4 years. And I've never been so at peace. No drama, no stress...an ending, for me, of immense amounts of suffering. Lonely? Yes...at times, crushing. But, I persevere and become stronger. I can truly be me and don't care about the opinions and bullshit rules of society. I will walk forward alone. But, thank you Doc...for being so decidedly wise. Don't stop. Find ways to get your message to more people. Because you may very well be among the last of your kind.

This was, by far, the scariest Black Mirror episode.

24:18 "I'm not smart enough to give you all the answers" That was a breath of fresh air. Everyone's got an opinion no matter the topic. Few are willing to pause and admit they dont know enough yet to give you an intelligent one.

I love the fact you are a conflicted human like the rest of us. I do appreciate your sensitivity as well a sane approach to the things that are scaring the absolute shit out of me.

This has to be one of the most important shows you've done. Thanks.

I've always felt like social media stole something from me that I loved, I miss people. Once upon a time I saw my friends frequently and now almost never. People that used to be you're friends and those that currently say they are your friend can be seen online showcasing there life of nothing throughout the day and you can't even get a full sentence from them if you text them nevermind getting them to hangout or grab a coffee. It's heartbreaking.

Am I the only one that just gets sad watching this? Like wow has the world really come to this...

Kids should not be on social media.

I watched the The Social Dilemma last night and again the next morning with my Wife. Oddly enough I sort of woke up awhile ago to freedom from Social Media after my account got frozen by Twitter...it was the best thing that ever happened. I also weaned myself off of facebook and only log on once or twice a week to respond to family posts. I call a lot more and facetime/skype more now and find that I am a lot less stressed than I used to be...its a good feeling. Thank you for taking time out to add your well presented and knowledgeable insight.

"You can never get enough of what you don't really want." I read or heard this somewhere a few years ago, and it grows more profound every day.

One of the videos you did about 5 or 6 years ago about girls and social media changed me forever. We instituted a no phone until 16 policy. My now 17 year old son is our oldest. Guess what. He survived without a phone. And still no social media accounts . Our 14 and 11 year olds are still alive and well without phones and social media (although the 14 year old is mad as heck that we won't cave). My kids are social, POPULAR and happy... WITHOUT PHONES!!! Here's the best part.... Alot of my friends' kids are younger than mine... And they are watching us and following suit! It's a little movement going on here in the mountains of NC. Bottom line:. Your work matters. Your voice is making a difference. It has helped to change the course of my family. Thank you! Kristina - Asheville, NC

Ironically, older generations are considered not good at new technology, while it's vice versa for younger generations; but when older generations use Internet, it broadens their world, while for young generations, it narrows theirs.

I am here because I watched “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix, and next day “KZfaq Recommended” ..............

Omg. I’ve been saying this for years. I have no FB, Instagram, or Twitter. I tell the young nurses- this is so bad. Fake friends. Oh my.

I saw this happening years ago. I think I was the last one to even own a cell phone, and that was only because I needed it for my job. To be talking to someone at lunch or while on break, to only have them sit and stare at their phone is sad. Watching people walking their dogs while staring at their phone is sad. My cell phone is seldom used, and very few people have it's number. I still rely on my landline. I do spend time on my desktop watching videos like yours, or sending emails, or looking things up ... but it stays on my desk while I live my life. Thank you for sharing this message! I watched this on Netflix and found it to be very interesting and true.

Between the Social Dilemma and watching my educated family members falling for the Qanon cult I realized it was a matter of time until my own sanity was stolen. I deleted my Facebook and a few other social medias a few days later. I've never felt better.

“Millennials I used to make fun of; Gen Z you just feel bad for. They’re wired perfectly to be destroyed by this. We are playing into the hands of technological algorithms that have no humanity.”

Watching this in Bangalore, India.. and I can say the same for my 7 year old who throws a tantrum when we cut down on her iPad time.. Yeah, its time to get back to analog.. Thanks for making this.. :-))

Recent conversation with my 12 year old younger sister : (Summary) "Natalie, Remember I said I want an i-phone? I kind of changed my mind, I told parents not to buy me one for christmas. Every time I go to the park, the neighbors just sit there on the slides and swings on the phones. And last time at Vicky's birthday party sleepover everyone was just laying on the bed and couch on their phones, I took the Uno and Connect Four games like last year and nobody even wanted to play. They were just posting pictures of the sleepover the whole time. I don't want to be in the pictures because they cant tag me and i cant see what people say, if its good or bad. Im the only one without a phone and it sucks but now i see why mom and dad only let you get one at 16. This was so hard to hear and sad to type out. More details she shared with me but i don't want to completely take away your confidence in the next generation of humans who are hardly human at all FYI.

I've been able to, by some miracle, kept both my kids off of social media. It has become their personal decision as they became young adults. I'm so thankful!!

You speak to my soul in all the profound ways I could not articulate.

Love you’re open and compassionate review of this documentary

"We are playing into the hands of technology algorithms that have no human nature whatsoever." I like all your work, but this video cuts deep. Valuable information that everyone should watch. Excellent review of a fantastic documentary.

Great commentary! I have been going through a lot with friends who I love and adore who have become full blown conspiracy theorists - at first I was like "OMG" and then they kept sending me these "news" pieces and for a few moments I fell into it- scary! It was a great film and I am so happy and grateful you loved it too and are adamant about sharing it - I am telling everyone I can, like you I am a parent and feel it is super important. THANK YOU!

I'm 16 years old and I can hands down say social media is an addiction I can't control.

“Something that uses you as a tool”

I shared your video link and my parents goes like "I TOLD YOU!" Thanks for this mind opening video!!!❤️

Thank you for continuing on your mission. Our young people have lost a desire to better their minds and abilities to do critical thinking. They don’t want to have to dig deep for answers, they want simplified quick instant results and they don’t want the background, reasons or debatable answers. Just give me the answer not the why. They are losing the development of people skills and relationships of all kinds are being destroyed or dissolving because there is no desire to repair or improve anymore. Just throw it out like a rug that won’t stay in place, you love the feel of the rug but it slides so throw it out and go get a new one. To heck with figuring out how to stop it from sliding. That is life as it is for so many of our young people today.

Especially now when people are more sequestered during Covid-19 quarentining!!

MySpace and now Facebook are one major way I keep in touch with family and see my Grandkids pictures as they grow. I always wondered what was done with all the data our personal pages produce. It has been great to watch this documentary with you! The Supporter Tribe is a great asset where most all people get along and actually have manners! Love it there and here with your videos. I learned a lot with this video and enjoyed your commentary so much.

Dr. Z, thanks for making this video. I am becoming an old man, currently, and my kids were in their late teens or early 20's when Facebook came out. I had not watched the documentary, but I had heard of it. I appreciate your insights into it. I was in a job on the international stage for 25 years. A little unrest "over there" could, and did, completely change my calendar and course of life. I still get up every morning at the crack of dawn and "survey" the news. Multiple sources with all sorts of angles on the same thing/event. Never get your "news" from a single source, because it's lying to you. Known that since 1990. We have been under manipulation-for-profit since the invention of the printing press. It continued and intensified with the advent of radio, and later with television. Think about it. Television= "how do we make a program so intriguing that the viewer will sit through 10 minutes of commercials in a 30 minute window?" All these Gen Zer's in the documentary are acting like they have discovered "something new" and "we should all be scared"....but it's NOT new. It's been happening since the paperboy started delivering the news paper straight to your porch. You didn't even have to get out of your pajamas to get "the morning news". "Swipe down" in your kitchen while having your morning cup of joe. Undo the rubber band, open it up, and smell the ink.

You need to go on the Joe Rogan Experience. His millions of subscribers would get a lot out of an honest, long form discussion between you two.

Why is this not on trending, more people need to see this.

Thank you so much for this informative video! we need open discussions about the effects of social media! and we need more awareness! and I clearly recommend watching the documentary too!

I used to be a hairdresser....and sometimes a girl or young woman would come in. After the haircut they would take a picture and then sit there and pout. I could tell they were. Unhappy, I would always think I did something wrong....but then they would start getting likes. Suddenly they would smile and jump up and say, I love it! ...so....good thing their friends were always online to tell them how they should feel.

Turns out we didn't need an oracle to create "Minority Report."

"When you propose an opposing idea in a compassionate and connected way..." ❤️️

Okay. That was refreshing! You hit the nail on the head like 14 times! Cheers!

Thank You for posting this! I have shared it with my family including my daughter who is starting UCD this fall, thankfully my teenage son hates social media and refuses to have an account-I was actually worried that it has isolated him socially because in person meetings are organized through those accounts these days. He is into online gaming but does it in social groups talking on mics, kind of like being on a group phone call. I would love to know more about how this affects our boys as it is definitely a problem. Ive always hated Facebook, have an account but basically don’t use it. I started using KZfaq and instagram for how to art videos and posts this year which is fun! As a nurse and prior career in preclinical research I started watching your videos and one other doctor group (medcram) as the pandemic unfolded. I also went on Facebook for the first time in years to feel connected to what other nurses were experiencing but ended up angry and frustrated, so I stopped that. I would like to know more how to contribute to your channel and the few others I subscribe to without playing into the algorithms and being used.

This is really good stuff! Really points out lots of things I've been bothered about with social media, influencers and political discussions. Stuff like how you feel you want/need to go and do something else but you still sit with your phone, or how some people are so confident that their political/religious/social conceptions of everyday problems and situations are 100% correct in every way while polarizing by patronizing other ideas . Discussions turn into debates and the goal switches from learning to winning. I believe this is contributes to how afraid many are of making mistakes nowadays, which troubles me alot since honest mistakes is a very good way of learning things and constantly walking on eggshells trying to avoid making mistakes will surely contribute to anxiety, low self-esteem, bad self-image etc. Many people should focus more on doing stuff rather than thinking about how to do stuff. Alot of people should also focus more on trying to understand others views instead of winning arguments, and also praising those who appeal to knowledge instead of competing. We should all try and be humble in our search for wisdom instead of choosing the easy way by getting opinionated about stuff we don't know all about. At some point you just gotta back up a bit to get the bigger picture and try and be content with what's "good enough" in your life.

Thank you ZDOGG!!! No other words, just thank you.

I am so glad I came across your video before I watched "The Social Dilemma" Thank you for opening my eyes. I can't wait to share this with my family.

Dr Damania, I just have to give you so much credit. This was a really good video, as in impressively good to the point that I’m sharing it because it’s really valuable content. Your honesty and sincerity is from the heart genuine and noticeable. Much encouragement and support for the path you are on👏👏👏

This was great and passing the link on to everyone I know, even though, as he says , it benefits him. Great explanation !!

Deeply appreciate you sharing your personal struggles with social media. When I bought my first smartphone in 2014, after years being content with a flip phone, I was appalled. Overnight in order to use the damn thing, I was required to allow every Tom, DICK and Harry app/function access to everything on my phone. I remember freaking out about this. Everyone around me thought I was crazy and over reacting. How could I not love my new phone and why was I upset about this? Intuitively I knew the shit would eventually hit the fan. The fan is turbo charged and destroying human connection.

Great video as always! Definitely sharing in the hopes a few will spend the time to watch. I'm on the "old" end of Millennials and my 3 oldest kids are mid/late teens. The way their cohort interacts with social media is alarming. I delayed access until 8th grade for most and 9th grade for some; I wish I'd waited longer. The most striking thing I've noticed is their peers with serious mental health concerns (Cluster B, etc) are somehow able to "cover" them or pass it off as "normal" with help from social media.

Thank you for this. My eyes were opened today. Wow.

I remember when I was a kid pre-internet, there was this thing called the teletext you could access on a TV set, and I'd sit there for hours scrolling through it. Different era, different platform, same behaviour. Make of it what you will? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you! I've been saying after high school for social media, and my daughter has been hoping for a change of mind. She just heard you.... :) I can hear the NOOOOOOOOOO... as she realizes she's lost.

I am a K-8 technology teacher and one of my units is Digital Citizenship. I want to scream from the rooftops to parents "watch this with your middle school and high school student/child"!!! I want to show this in my class because it is exactly what I am trying to have the students understand. Your use of the documentary and comments will be so beneficial to my class unit. Thank you!!

People are entangled and addicted to social media. The devestating affects on our children, young girls and boys, are topics NO ONE talks about because it is all money driven. I had no idea it was such a serious problem. I would like to share this with my family members with young children. The media moguls are incorigible and totaly corrupt with absolutely no conscience. It is up to us to educate ourselves and our kids. Thank you for posting.

Absolutely terrifying, frightening. I fear for my 8 year old begging me for a cell on her 9th bday. Sorry baby girl, mom loves you too much.

Wow...AWESOME video! I'm glad I got off social some months ago! I started noticing my anger behavior and no sleep...my husband would call me a vampire because I never slept, now I get my rest and my sleep and the bags are leaving from under my eyes! But God had started dealing with me about social media.

Thank you, Doc Z. Just, yeah, thank you for sharing videos like this.

You did a really good job applying the ideas into action steps! Great job sir 👍

Nice to see Netflix bravely take this one on, it correlates with Dr. Lustig's "The Hacking Of The American Mind" which provides the 'endorphin basis' for why it's so addictive.

I think this is so facinating. I personally have been implementing days I don't go on social media (whether its a monday every week or whatever) and honestly it's so refreshing. I don't know how to approach family and friends who have this issue though. One of my cousins who is a teenager has very bad anxiety, due to her family life and social media (also being homeschooled her entire life) and I constantly see her upload photos, just to delete them if they don't get enough likes. I am unsure what to tell her.

Zdog. Thank you. A great documentary, and a very good commentary on it. Please, let us learn.

Seen your other vid before this on FB. Now im here. Subbed.

Haven't seen the movie yet but your analysis is very frightening. 63 y.o nurse getting ready to retire 😊

Look around you, does it seem like everyone is going crazy. (Guy speaking to empty room). I got chills!

thank you for your take on this. your videos have helped me examine my biases and take a breath with this onslaught of rhetoric constantly thrown in our faces.

I'm very pleased to hear everything that came out of your mouth. Sorry for doubting you as a person. Keep up the good work

I watched it. It was definitely thought provoking and honestly I deactivated and deleted FB as a result. I don’t need it and lord knows I’m busy learning this new EMR, so I don’t have time for it. 😂

1984, and the general population is clueless!!!

So true. As soon as I saw the documentary, it validated everything I have been saying. Stay Blessed.

I am not sure if that is a quilt hanging in the background but I love it. It gave me a nice idea for some extra fabric that I have. Thanks!

I still use a flip phone. I've been offered a couple of expensive smart phones that were cast-offs from friends and I always say thanks, but no thanks. I have no addiction to social media. I couldn't care less about it. Not giving a toss about stuff other people seem to care *so* much about actually feels sort of empowering. Break free from its shackles and make up your own mind! That sounded preachy I know, but oh well, so be it.

Moral of the Story: All those techies who are doing this stuff now?? Yeah....we shouldn't have stuffed them into their lockers back in the 80s and 90s.

I love that this video tells us just how we should think about another video

Wowwwww, This is really the most informative video ever!!! Thanx Doc!!!

Thanks for posting your commentary, Doc. I am also a father to two young girls and social media is something that scares the cr@p out of me and my wife. We're already seeing issues with our older daughter, who only was able to text with her friends (no social media at all)... this just further cements my argument that social media is an absolute cancer in Western society and we need to cut it out.

There's a certain generation of kids I always try to avoid interacting with, basically anyone around 10-20 years younger than myself. Something just isn't right in a lot of their psyches - definitely has something to do with these digital bonds their minds have to the internet. There's a very big difference from when you talk to someone who didn't grow up with technology to someone that grew up completely indulged in it.

Awesome video Doc! As a programmer I have seen these patterns emerge for years, its cool that the wider public has also started to finally acknowledge this. The documentary was really well done as usually Netflix shows are, from technical perspective. Yeah there's a lot they did not cover, like what actually to do with children and social media. Or even just ask children what they think of all this not just the parents. I grow up in the 90s with Nokia 3310 and had no such problems where someone disliked my for my ears being to big or whatever. But I am or rather was addicted to video games like friggin so hard maaaan. So I get the whole addiction dopamine thing. But in the end I am soo friggin excited about technology as a whole and as a programmer see this a huge success, it does what it is suppose to, keep us online longer. But we as humans have to get our sh*t together and be more disciplined, make better choices, detox every once in a while, think critically and pay attention to our children.. not just plant a phone in their hand and then wonder what the heck happened. I also made a lil video about the overview of the Social Dilemma if someone is interested and wants to connect and chat about this a bit more :)

Dr. Z you seem to have connected with the gravity of our current situation like I did. This is one of the most important societal stories of our time. This is important information for all of us, but unfortunately even watching this film requires a degree of attention that most of us no longer have. Thanks for sharing this.

Know of two 19 yr old girls who committed suicide this week. So sad. From great families, both girls in college. One occurred in a dorm room when her roommate went home for the weekend.

So rich with deep points... I had to pause and think, rewind a bit, go on. Just one example: when a company like FB has so much predictive behavioral information it can not only tell what your shopping patterns are but your emotional state, and it probably knows that you are deeply depressed or suicidal, does it reach out to you? And it went on from there. I have to stop commenting because I want to get on FB and SHARE the hell. out of this!

Right on spot! Seems like his verbalizing the exact copy of my thoughts only that I don't know how to get the message across... very well done 👍

Quickly becoming my new favorite YT channel! Great stuff. Like Andrew Yang likes to say, the true American experts who should be in positions of power are stuck in the gig economy.

I mean seeing ppl at same table on phones is sad. But I can say one good thing is I found ppl from different areas I count not as Friends (more like casual talking buddies) that I wouldn't have met otherwise.

We need to return a having mission in life based on a purpose thats based IRL In Real Life

I loved your message, including that flawless GI Joe reference there!

Thank you for an honest conversation!

"1984" novel by George Orwell? He writes about this mess....and basically, CORPORATIONS..RULE the world! We are there! We may be waking up TOO LATE! I PRAY it's not.

As someone who pays for youtube premium.... yeah, my experience on youtube is vastly different. For example, i no longer relate to memes about mid roll ads, or whether youtube its sending more pre roll ads. Not only that, downloading videos, youtube music, background play and so forth

I wasn't too sure how you would react to this one.. glad you agree. thumbs up.!

Wow, this is deep. Something to think about. Wonderful video.

There's a difference between a compliment and just an observation .

We will not get rid of this stuff. We need to post only things that are meaningful, that help others. Always starting with ourselve. Change is only possible if we change. Therefore we need to change this from the inside. In every way that we can possibly imaging. I wrote a book ( in German) about Zen / Meditation / inner reflection as a workbook to step by step getting out of slavery of social media by using ist differently. Let´s use this vast knowledge about manipulation, about behavioural change in an ethical way to make this world a better place. Not to gain money out of it, but insight and knowledge. We need to enforce rules and live up to our own inner ethical values. I am a physian too. Congratulations to your chanel.

This was so good and worth watching and sharing !

You're now my new favorite guy after watching your logical and sane reaction to this incredibly fascinating documentary.

My girls are one generation before genz. I remember computers were what everyone wanted...... they wanted to hear AOL “you’ve got mail”. I didn’t allow computers in our home until they were middle school and high school. No one had a phone, not even a landline, until high school. Even then it was highly regulated. The time spent on the computer was shared. I had access to everyone’s files. It was strict enough that they were allowed 3 phone calls a day, 15 min each- NO MORE THAN THAT. After raising these 4 kids, I’m so amazed how they handle themselves, their relationships. Between my husband and I we have 13 grandchildren. I AM SCARED TO DEATH HOW THEY ARE GOING TO GET THROUGH ALL THIS MESS. We must get back to face to face in our relationships.

Another one I recently watched that I would recommend especially if you have kiddos is childhood 2.0.

Just WOW!🤯 Thanks for this...wow!

An eye opener for sure. I feel the same way but seeing it explained in this video and seeing the statistics, it’s scary. I hope nothing but the best for our kids futures.