Introduction
The TV series “Black Mirror” is an almanac of satirical stories reflecting modern society and its future. It refers specifically to the evolution of human nature in the condition of global digitalization. The first episode of the third season, called “Nosedive,” follows the character of Lacie, who lives in an idyllic world of the near future. She strives to maintain a perfect image of herself presented to other people. Lacie is consumed with her desire to look perfect and to fit into the society she lives in.
Analysis of Social Motifs in Black Mirror: Nosedive
The show highlights essential ideas about human nature and society. First, it underlines that people are often forced to construct a false identity that they can present to others to be accepted. As Jonathan Franzen has noted, the desire for social approval can lead to a loss of personal integrity. As human beings, being a part of a community is critical, so people strive to hide their negative features and exaggerate positive ones to be liked by others. People nowadays are preoccupied with how others perceive and evaluate them. Being accepted is often a prerequisite for high social status and access to various opportunities, which is also highlighted in the show.
Social media facilitates this process and restructures social interactions drastically. Social media users now have access to large audiences that can observe the most minor details of the personal lives of people they do not even know. People are constantly evaluated and compared to others, which creates ever-changing standards that people strive to fit in.
Social media encourages people to interact with others based on the image they present to the public. Before people engage in communication, they perceive an image of a person explicitly constructed to be presented to the audience. It often highlights the best parts and covers the worst ones, which can be misleading.
Therefore, social media forces people to interact not with a natural person based on the expectations that have been previously formed. As Jonathan Franzen once observed, “It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction,” highlighting the potential disconnect between our online personas and authentic selves. Lacie dedicated her life to maintaining a personal brand to avoid the pain of being rejected by society. Human beings can change their nature by striving to be liked by others by exposing their best qualities.
In the episode, individuals are rated by other people, which further determines one’s housing, working opportunities, and relations with others. As a result, people often give others a high rating in the hope of getting a similar rating in return (“Nosedive” [3:00]). It causes people to think more about their image in daily activities than other aspects of their lives.
Lacie receives bad ratings from her brother and a cab driver, which leads to her end (“Nosedive” [16:00]). People start to perceive her based on her poor rating and give her low rating as well, which drags her further to the bottom of social ranking (“Nosedive” [34:00]). Therefore, she has no opportunity to change the situation as her image has been spoiled.
The situation might drastically change human beings as it prioritizes personal branding. People might see social status as the only source of happiness and fulfillment, which can lead to the constant desire to fit into society’s standards. People can lose their personalities when constructing an ideal image that others can present.
The episode shows that Lacie reaches freedom after being put in prison, as she does not need to interact with society anymore (“Nosedive” [53:00]). Lacie, therefore, cannot live in a society with her true personality, which is not altered to be liked by others. As Jonathan Franzen mentioned, she is “without integrity, without a center.” Lacie committed to sustaining a personal brand to save herself from social rejection. People can alter their character by trying to win the favor of others by showcasing their most remarkable traits.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the “Nosedive” episode serves as a sobering warning of the perils of perfectionism and social conformity. It shares Franzen’s worries about the modern world’s erosion of integrity and individuality. The world of techno-consumerism is thus troubled by genuine love, as Franzen once stated (Franzen). The episode explores a theme that runs across Franzen’s writings: how the fixation with social ratings and the need to fit in can result in a loss of self.
Works Cited
Franzen, Jonathan. “Liking Is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts.” The New York Times, 2011. Web.
“Nosedive.” Black Mirror, created by Brooker, Charlie, season 3, episode 1, Netflix, 2016.