🎬 Resources

Movies, series, documentaries, books and audiobooks can provide valuable insights into the impact of technology on society. As an IB DP Digital Society student, watching/reading these can help you understand various aspects of the digital world and its influence on our lives.

🎥 Movies

1. The Social Dilemma: This documentary explores the impact of social media on society, featuring interviews with former employees of major tech companies who discuss the darker aspects of these platforms, such as addiction, privacy issues, and the spread of misinformation.

2. The Great Hack: This documentary delves into the Cambridge Analytica scandal and how personal data can be harvested and used to influence elections and public opinion, raising important questions about data privacy and the power of tech companies.

3. The Circle: Based on the novel by Dave Eggers, this film explores themes of privacy, surveillance, and the impact of a powerful tech company on society, as a young woman joins a company that pushes the boundaries of personal data collection and transparency.

4. Ex Machina: This science fiction thriller explores the development of artificial intelligence and the potential consequences of creating sentient machines, touching on themes of ethics, consciousness, and the relationship between humans and AI.

5. Her: Set in a near-future Los Angeles, this film follows a man who develops a relationship with an intelligent computer operating system with a female voice, exploring themes of artificial intelligence, loneliness, and the nature of human connection in a technologically advanced world.

6. The Final Cut: In a future where implanted microchips can record a person's entire life, Robin Williams plays a "cutter" who edits these memories into a cohesive narrative after the person's death. The film raises questions about privacy, memory, and the impact of technology on our sense of self.

7. Minority Report: Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, this sci-fi thriller explores a future where police use psychics to arrest and convict murderers before they commit their crimes, touching on themes of surveillance, free will, and the potential consequences of predictive technology.

8. The Net: Released in 1995, this film follows a computer programmer whose identity is erased and replaced by a criminal record, highlighting the vulnerability of personal data in the early days of the internet and the potential for identity theft and manipulation.

9. Disconnect: This multi-narrative drama explores the impact of technology and the internet on human relationships, following several interconnected stories that deal with issues such as online bullying, identity theft, and the dark side of social media.

10. The Fifth Estate: This biographical thriller tells the story of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the release of classified documents, raising questions about transparency, freedom of information, and the role of whistleblowers in the digital age.

11. Sneakers: This 1992 caper film follows a group of security experts who are blackmailed into stealing a top-secret black box capable of breaking any encryption code, touching on themes of privacy, surveillance, and the power of technology in the hands of both criminals and the government.

12. Searching: Told entirely through computer screens and smartphones, this thriller follows a father's desperate search for his missing daughter, showcasing the role of digital technology in modern life and the ways in which our online presence can be used to uncover the truth.

13. I, Robot: Loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short story collection, this sci-fi action film takes place in a future where robots are an integral part of society. When a robot is suspected of murder, a technophobic detective investigates, exploring themes of artificial intelligence, robot rights, and the potential dangers of advanced technology.

14. Enemy of the State: Released in 1998, this action thriller follows a lawyer who becomes the target of a corrupt NSA official and his team of surveillance experts, highlighting the potential for abuse of power and the erosion of privacy in the digital age.

15. WarGames: In this 1983 sci-fi thriller, a young hacker accidentally accesses a United States military supercomputer designed to predict possible outcomes of nuclear war, inadvertently causing a nuclear crisis and highlighting the dangers of advanced technology and the potential for unintended consequences.

16. Bicentennial Man: Based on a story by Isaac Asimov, this film follows a robot played by Robin Williams who, over the course of 200 years, develops human emotions and desires, exploring themes of artificial intelligence, humanity, and the nature of consciousness.

17. A.I. Artificial Intelligence: Directed by Steven Spielberg, this sci-fi drama is set in a future where humanoid robots called "mechas" are common. The story follows a highly advanced mecha child who longs to become a real boy, touching on themes of love, humanity, and the relationship between humans and artificial beings.

18. Pirates of Silicon Valley: This 1999 biographical drama chronicles the early years of the personal computer revolution and the rivalry between Apple's Steve Jobs and Microsoft's Bill Gates, offering insights into the cutthroat nature of the tech industry and the personalities that shaped it.

📺 Series

1. Black Mirror: This anthology series explores various aspects of technology and its impact on society, often presenting dystopian or thought-provoking scenarios that highlight the potential dangers and unintended consequences of technological advancements.

2. Mr. Robot: This series follows a hacker and cybersecurity engineer who becomes involved with an underground hacker group that aims to take down corporate America. The show explores themes of privacy, surveillance, and the power of technology in shaping society.

3. Silicon Valley: This comedy series satirizes the tech industry and startup culture, offering insights into the world of innovation, venture capital, and the struggles of building and scaling tech companies.

📹 Documentaries

1. The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz: This documentary tells the story of Aaron Swartz, a programmer and activist who fought for open access to information and faced legal challenges for his work, highlighting issues of intellectual property, access to knowledge, and the power dynamics of the digital world.

2. Terms and Conditions May Apply: This documentary explores the implications of agreeing to the terms and conditions of various online services, highlighting the ways in which personal data is collected, used, and potentially misused by tech companies.

3. The Age of AI: This documentary series, hosted by Robert Downey Jr., explores the development and potential impact of artificial intelligence on various aspects of society, including healthcare, education, and the workforce.

4. Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World: Directed by Werner Herzog, this documentary explores the history and impact of the internet on society, featuring interviews with notable figures in the tech industry and beyond, and offering philosophical reflections on the digital age.

5. Citizenfour: This 2014 documentary follows filmmaker Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald as they meet with Edward Snowden in Hong Kong, where he shares the NSA documents that would lead to revelations about mass surveillance by the U.S. government, raising critical questions about privacy, national security, and the role of whistleblowers in the digital age.

📚 Books

1. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff: This book examines how tech giants like Google and Facebook collect and monetize personal data, creating a new form of capitalism that Zuboff argues undermines democracy and individual autonomy.

2. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr: Carr explores how the internet and digital technologies are affecting our cognitive abilities, attention spans, and reading habits, drawing on neuroscience and psychology to make his case.

3. Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil: This book examines how algorithms and big data can perpetuate and amplify biases, leading to decisions that can have negative impacts on people's lives, particularly in areas like education, employment, and criminal justice.

4. The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You by Eli Pariser: Pariser argues that personalization algorithms used by search engines and social media platforms can create "filter bubbles" that isolate users from diverse perspectives and information, potentially leading to polarization and the spread of misinformation.

5. Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor by Virginia Eubanks: This book explores how automated systems and algorithms can disproportionately affect marginalized communities, particularly in the context of public services and the criminal justice system.

🎧 Audiobooks

1. Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Max Tegmark: Tegmark explores the potential impact of artificial intelligence on society, discussing both the benefits and risks of AI development and the importance of ensuring that AI systems align with human values and interests.

2. The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly: In this audiobook, Kelly examines the key technological trends that he believes will shape the future, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things, and how these technologies will transform various aspects of society.

3. The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World by Pedro Domingos: Domingos explores the concept of machine learning and the potential for a "master algorithm" that could enable machines to learn and adapt in ways that could revolutionize fields like healthcare, education, and finance.

4. Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus: How Growth Became the Enemy of Prosperity by Douglas Rushkoff: Rushkoff critiques the growth-obsessed culture of the digital economy, arguing that the pursuit of endless growth and the dominance of monopolistic tech companies are leading to social and economic instability.

5. The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads by Tim Wu: Wu explores the history and impact of the attention economy, from early advertising to the rise of social media platforms, and how the competition for our attention is shaping our culture and society.