Louis Unslow argues that Black Mirror’s pessimistic portrayal of technology will not help us progress towards a better future.

Black Mirror transcends mere science fiction. It weaves a narrative of modernity that parallels the folklore of science, shaping a collective perspective on technology and the future.

Each new advancement is portrayed as a story in the New Age caste system: smartphones as tools, robot dogs as hunters, drones as killers, artificial intelligence as a form of necromancy, virtual reality as a boring nightmare, and brain implants. The episodes often reflect our shared anxieties about the future. It’s compelling viewing, but should we take it seriously?

Black Mirror falls short in consistently exploring the dualism of technology and our responses to it. This deficiency is significant. The show mirrors the hubris of Icarus and Daedalus, the original high-tech siblings, and Dr. Hammond from Jurassic Park. It lacks the moral lesson of Promethean mythology, which depicts fire as a gift to humanity rather than a curse, despite angering benevolent gods through its democratization. The show also misses a philosophically valuable take on the Pandora’s Box narrative, which also contained hope and the potential for positive change. Black Mirror delves into human reactions to technology but often does so by neglecting Isaac Asimov’s insights, serving up dystopian tales instead: an observation that humans tend to fear and resist technology irrationally.

Black Mirror leans more towards pessimistic sensationalism than Plato’s allegorical teachings, imparting an unspoken warning to viewers. It reflects a fear of the future more than a reverence for the past, and a trepidation towards technological advancements that feel unprecedented emotionally and instinctively, despite intellectual recognition of the present’s technological superiority over the past.

The Weighty Ramifications of Technical Fearmongering

This kind of simplistic dystopian outlook, prominent in science fiction since the 1960s, clouds our vision of the future, as we fail to envision a better tomorrow and avoid taking steps to create it. This pessimistic mindset, with bipartisan appeal, stifles literary, political, and moral imagination, hampering progress rather than fostering it.

Technical pessimism often leads to dystopian outcomes in reality. Fear of genetically modified organisms, for instance, has hindered countries from utilizing potentially life-saving technologies. Nations have shunned nuclear energy for traditional fossil fuels, and some have even outlawed beneficial technologies like electronic cigarettes while allowing traditional tobacco use. This cycle of fear-based decision-making hampers progress and innovation.

In contrast, countries like France have embraced nuclear power, overcoming initial fears to derive significant benefits. The shift towards a more optimistic and proactive approach is crucial for leveraging technology’s potential for positive change and advancement.

Artificial intelligence, often portrayed as an existential threat, actually holds immense promise in advancing healthcare, reducing mortality rates, and developing critical treatments. Viewing technology through a more optimistic lens can lead to tangible benefits for society.

The notion of viewing the marvels of science and technology as an inevitable curse has become more prevalent in light of the global pandemic. The risk of inaction and stagnation has forced us to recognize the essential role of technology in our lives. During the period from 2020 to 2022, Black Mirror went on hiatus as people shunned dystopian fiction in favor of the real-world challenges. The pandemic highlighted the benefits of technology, such as biotechnology, in providing hope and solutions rather than instigating fear.

Suddenly, the once-feared technologies, such as vaccines and genetic modifications, became sources of hope and progress. The unfounded conspiracies surrounding technology, like 5G, lost their traction as real-world advancements proved their efficacy. The shift towards embracing technology for its potential to improve lives rather than for its perceived dangers marked a significant change in societal attitudes.

Charting a New Narrative

A new wave of progressivism, characterized by pragmatic problem-solving and forward-thinking solutions, must pave the way for a fresh narrative on technology and the future. Rather than succumbing to binary catastrophism or utopian idealism, we should embrace a narrative of hopeful solutionism that acknowledges the challenges of change while emphasizing our capacity to overcome them.

It’s time to shift our focus from fear-based narratives to solutions-oriented storytelling that highlights the potential of technology to address societal issues and enhance human well-being. By embracing a proactive and optimistic stance towards technology, we can chart a new path towards a future that is both promising and sustainable.