The TV show Black Mirror first appeared on our screen in 2011, and in that time, the writers Charlie Brooker, William Bridges and Jesse Armstrong for Channel 4 made some predictions that equal those of The Simpsons but in a much darker and frighteningly true-to-life way.
In the 12 years since its inception, Black Mirror has made some spooky predictions about future technology and society that have come true. In one episode, for example, a group of people use tiny cameras to record their experiences – precisely what Google Glass did in 2014.
But Black Mirror didn’t stop there; it also predicted the growth of social media and how it would become something akin to an addiction. The writers explored this in “The Entire History of You”, where characters used a device implanted behind their ears to recall all their memories instantly.
The “The Entire History of You” episode could be interpreted as foreshadowing our dependence on phones and apps like Instagram that help us capture every moment of our lives – and then some.
Elsewhere, Black Mirror has prophesied the advancement of virtual reality and the use of AI technology to help us make decisions – both of which are increasingly commonplace in today’s society. In the episode “Be Right Back“, a woman uses a computer program to re-create her deceased partner based on memories and interactions collected from social media.
Be right back is a comment on the use of bot technology. AI bots exist and can respond to simple messages and questions – just ask Alexia! In “White Christmas”, a technology called a “cookie” uses a downloaded consciousness as a personal assistant – Siri, where are you?
The episode “Nosedive” is even more eerily prescient, which predicts our current obsession with online rating systems like Yelp, Uber, and even some job platforms. In this episode, characters rate each other based on appearance and conversation topics. It’s almost too similar to our fixation with likes and comments on social media networks – not quite as extreme as the show, but still alarming.
“Shut Up and Dance” is about cyber security. Hackers do what they’re good at and hack webcams to blackmail people. We’ve seen recent examples of this with the Ashley Madison hackers holding married indiscretions out for blackmail and ransomware attacks on hospitals, schools and businesses.
AR gets another hit in “Men Against Fire,” an augmented reality episode that imagines a military innovation that modifies what soldiers see, smell, and hear to lessen the horrors of battle.
“Men Against Fire” hits home since so many modern technologies have their roots in the military. Stanford University study looks at face-swapping technology for use in everyday life, and Snapchat and Instagram allow users to do a variation of this through filters.
In our opinion, “Arkangle” is the scariest and most realistic episode, showing the lengths an overprotective mother will go to protect her child. In the episode, a software program is created to detect health risks and alert parents to potential illnesses, but the parent takes it to extremes, and her child is a prisoner in her home.
This prediction came true with the advent of ‘smart’ baby monitors that track heart rate, breathing, oxygen levels and body movement while your child sleeps. While these devices are meant to provide peace of mind for parents, they can also be misused regarding privacy concerns and just allowing a child to be – parents don’t need to know everything.
Black Mirror has made some eerie predictions about technology taking over our lives, but it’s also an essential reminder for us all to step back and think about how much we use our tech – and how it may be controlling us instead of making our lives easier.
Black Mirror is not the only show that predicts (accurately) how we live today. In 1948 George Orwell wrote 1984, which is almost a mirror image of our current lives. It’s incredible how the world has changed quickly – and how much he predicted decades ago.
When predicting the future, no one does it better than Black Mirror. The show has an uncanny ability to foreshadow everything from smartphones to virtual reality and even our obsession with social media ratings – all of which have become a part of our everyday lives.
It’s only a matter of years before we start seeing some of the other predictions made in the show becoming a reality too. Do you know what that means? Get ready for life, imitating art… yet again!
If you want some more spooky prediction read our blog called – It’s official The Simpsons really can predict the future.
This article was provided by nerdleaks.com – your source for witty technology-related news and reviews.
