The Chosen One

"A Shattered Reflection of Us"

Upon choosing a title, I wanted one that related to my primary source but also one that alluded to the topic of my essay. I configured this title as it reflects on how social media/technology has created an alternate or rather "shattered" version of ourselves.

"Nosedive" and Hyperrealism

Granted I have already discussed "Nosedive" as well as the concept of hyperrealism in my previous logs but I want to explain what makes this episode and concept so interesting and problematic when paired together. 

The show comes from Black Mirror, a series in which takes themes of technology and social media and makes comments about contemporary society. One could note that this series falls under the speculative fiction genre as it makes gestures on what our future could become and takes a satirical attempt to make a harsh critique of our current world. What is relevant in our society is what becomes the downfall of this episode's main character Lacie.  

Incorporating this show into the topic of hyperrealism, we realize that we, the viewers, are Lacie herself. Initially, we are annoyed by Lacie as we watch her put on a fake persona to the Internet. We find ourselves laughing and judging her as we view her practicing her smile and laugh to the mirror. Yet in the same way, we are the reflection of her. This is when the topic of hyperrealism comes into the picture. We end up relating to Lacie. We feel her pain and her efforts in attempting to be liked and perceived well by peers and strangers. This simulated reality ends up bleeding into our own lives as her life is a reflection of our own reality. For my essay, I'd like to analyze further this intersection of "Nosedive" and hyperrealism and how it makes an interesting argument of how technology/social media has impacted the individual.

Research Questions

1.  In what ways does the director's choices in "Nosedive" from Black Mirror elicit a conversation and critique about the ever-growing dependency on technology and social media on the individual, and how does it all tie to hyperrealism? 

2. In “Nosedive” from Netflix’s Black Mirror, how do specific aspects of the episode’s cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing, and sound contribute to a conversation about hyperrealism as digital medias has led individuals to be unable to distinguish between reality and a stimulated version of reality. 

3. What scholarly conversation about the negative impacts of technology/social media on U.S. culture does the episode “Nosedive” entail through its film-craft?

4. How do cinematographic  elements of “Nosedive” conduct a conversation about individuals in the United States and how their perception of themselves is radically altered due to the rise of technology/social media in our society as they attempt to be accepted by their fellow users?

For the purpose of my research paper, I would utilize both film analysis and cultural analysis as I will dissect the episode’s cinematography and pair it with the cultural issue that arises from the advancement of technology in our society to argue my thesis. I will also use rhetorical analysis as I take elements of "Nosedive" and conduct my own interpretation of the episode and relate it to a larger topic of hyperrealism and the individual. In my current findings of secondary sources, they have touched on the issue of technology and the hurt individual and for my paper, I want to take it a further step and speak upon how "Nosedive" is like a mirror and we are on the other end as the pre (almost) shattered reflection.

The Hypothesis

Through Nosedive’s recurring close and wide angle shots and paired with its pastel then dark setting, the episode critiques the detrimental impacts that the rise of technology and social media has on the individual as well the upsurge of hyperrealism in American society and thought.