SIO253: Unpacking 'The Social Dilemma'
Serious Inquiries Only
Thomas Smith
4.6 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 September 2020
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The new doc 'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix is making quite an impression on people. It tells a riveting story of the harms of social media, and has led to many people deleting their accounts or limiting their usage. But are all the claims backed up by science? Yes and no... If you've got an urge to delete all your accounts, you might want to hear what social psychologist Lindsey Osterman has to say about it! (and then maybe still delete your accounts if you want..)
Links: Verge article I really liked, social network sites and well-being study, A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents, Time Spent on Social Network Sites and Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to serious inquiries only. Oh, Hello and welcome to serious inquiries only this is episode 253 I'm Thomas and back again is |
| 0:36.0 | Lindsay Osterman how you doing awesome I'm doing great yeah yeah I am very excited to have you on because there is a little Netflix documentary that has been |
| 0:48.0 | causing a stir. It's in the top 10 of all streaming right now, you know, along with Cobra Kai, I'm sure, which I highly recommend. |
| 0:56.1 | I've seen the first two seasons of that, and it's fantastic. |
| 0:59.1 | Yeah, it's all there is right now, so you've seen the whole thing. |
| 1:01.6 | Yeah, it's great. It really is good. We watched it before COVID unfortunately so that wasn't we couldn't use that for quarantine time. |
| 1:09.7 | Yeah, that was a foolish error. I'm glad I waited and like had it for but then we watched it so quickly because it's so |
| 1:18.0 | Bingeable that we're already it's already over so I need the next several seasons of that. But anyway, along with that on |
| 1:24.3 | Netflix also there is the social dilemma. A lot of people have been talking about it and |
| 1:30.7 | what better person to come on and break it down than a I always say |
| 1:35.0 | psychologist should I clarify evolutionary psychologist does it well I think I think my |
| 1:40.5 | training is a social psychologist probably most relevant here. |
| 1:43.2 | Okay, okay. |
| 1:44.2 | But what, everyday life, how should I refer to your expertise? |
| 1:50.0 | I mean, I guess I'm a social psychologist that cares about evolutionary explanations of behavior |
| 1:55.2 | here we go okay so I'll say social psychologist that's easier yeah because people are very worried |
| 2:02.2 | about this. |
| 2:02.6 | I mean, this is the kind of thing. |
| 2:03.7 | Now, if you've, if you've listened to a lot of the same |
| 2:06.4 | podcasts I listen to, which is like Ezra Klein, |
| 2:08.8 | you know, back in the day, Sam Harris, |
| 2:10.8 | and I'm sure a lot of other ones they've had at least two of the people involved in this on their shows so you know |
... |
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