The 2022 Harry T. Wilks Distinguised Lecture Series Presents: Jeff Orlowski, "The Social Dilemma"

Jeff Orlowski electrified viewers with the award-winning Netflix documentary, “The Social Dilemma,” a chilling portrayal of social media companies and the outsize influence they hold over our sociopolitical landscape. Orlowski reframes our understanding of the function of these tech giants — from their stated goal of “bringing people together” to their true nature as ruthlessly efficient advertising platforms that need to keep audiences as deeply engaged as they can in the interests of profit. Orlowski illustrates how, by serving audiences the kind of content that is most likely to keep them engaged and emotionally invested — misinformation, conspiracy theories, stories that stoke outrage — these companies have dealt a huge blow to democracy at home and abroad by sowing discord in different communities and nations around the world, all while negatively impacting the mental health of their users.