Return to flip book view

At A GlanceTimelinePublic EducationYouth Empowerment Political Will-Building TABLE OF CONTENTSThis is a living document that is updated quarterly with the "best-of" impact highlights to date for our team and stakeholders. Please do not share this document. For a more comprehensive, public report on the first four months following The Social Dilemma’s release, see here. IMPACT UPDATES

8.8M+ views of the film trailer [YouTube]2.5K press mentions about the film [MIT’s MediaCloud]782K+ visits to TheSocialDilemma.com330K have visited our Take Action page 4K people have subscribed to our Social Media Reboot 38M households watched the film in the first 28 days, making it Netflix’s 6th most popular movie all year, and #1 in September [Variety, Forbes, Newsweek] 373K total social conversations about the film film online (“mentions”)258K social followers and newsletter subscribers 3+ billion users have been reached by these conversations (“reach”) AT A GLANCE

TIMELINEClick to view an interactive version. Password: TSD2021timeline

PUBLIC EDUCATIONPARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHTSWe collaborated with a coalition of civil society organizations on a set of five demands calling on Facebook to ensure their platform not be used to undermine the U.S. presidential election or incite violence, contributing to a campaign that garnered an estimated 800,000 signatures prior to election day. On October 30th, Facebook paused group recommendations for political groups, which ultimately became permanent following the insurrection.The film inspired Look Up Live’s teen leadership council to launch the first-ever Youth-4-Youth summit, which brought in over 300 young people from 38 countries to discuss the digital problems faced by Gen Z and what can be done about it. We then co-launched “The Social Dilemma Grant,” which challenges and resources Gen Z to realign technology with the public good.The Social Dilemma expanded the Center for Humane Technology’s capacity by helping them relate their ideas to the general public, reach new audiences and unlock new funding for their important work. When the film was released, CHT’s podcast shot to number #1 technology podcast on Apple, and has 4.6 million downloads to date. In February 2021, film subject Tristan Harris was included in TIME’s 100 NEXT, an annual list of 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future (Time). We helped advance Mozilla’s safer internet initiatives by participating in their UnFck The Internet campaign, which gave users steps to protect their privacy and fight misinformation. We’ve also sent 38K visitors to Tactical Tech + Mozilla’s Data Detox Kit.We've helped FairPlay (formerly Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood) advance a number of campaigns focused on protecting children from Big Social’s toxic business model. We helped send our audience to their petition drive, which ultimately garnered over 180K signatures. This campaign was later supported by 44 state Attorneys General. We're also collaborating with them on a U.S. design code campaign aimed at putting an end to manipulative design techniques that put children at risk.To highlight Big Social’s impact on our mental health, we partnered with MTV News for Mental Health Awareness Day to engage Gen Z. Through this partnership we spurred 237 new screenings of the film on and around Mental Health Day, collaborated on a set of multimedia explainers featuring footage from the film that generated over 32K views, and hosted a virtual conversation with Gen Z activists.We’ve collaborated with Accountable Tech on a number of campaigns aimed at holding Big Social accountable. Our team directed 1.5K+ new coalition signers to their Ban Surveillance Advertising campaign, making us the single largest signature driver.

● Remarkably effective in sounding the alarm about the incursion of data mining and manipulative technology into our social lives and beyond. – The New York Times● The Social Dilemma may be the most important documentary you see this year. – LA Times ● Its value lies in pulling together some alarming if abstract concepts into a genuinely scary whole. –Wall Street Journal● It is the most consequential documentary I have seen in the past three or four years ... It is mind-blowing. – TODAY Show ● I can’t say it enough, it’s important for everyone to watch. – Ellen● It is jaw dropping. –Mike Galanos, CNN● Documentary or not, this was the scariest movie of the year. –LA Weekly ● The Social Dilemma was one of the year's most-discussed documentaries. –Newsweek● Perhaps the single most lucid, succinct, and profoundly terrifying analysis of social media ever created for mass consumption. – IndieWirePUBLIC EDUCATIONPRESS HIGHLIGHTS

PUBLIC EDUCATION9/9/2020: The Social Dilemma is released on Netflix; Facebook’s stock dips by 8.8% over the next few weeks12/30/2020: 63% of Americans somewhat or completely agree with the statement "the government should be more involved in regulating social media companies," up from 53% in July 2020 2/8/2021: 84% of young people use at least one social media site, down from 90% in February 2019 1/7/2021: Facebook’s stock dips by 9.5% following the U.S. Capitol events, signaling public awareness of social media’s role3/15/20 8/1/201/1/21Netflix releaseCapitol events“The Social Dilemma”“Surveillance capitalism”“Humane technology”“Social media effects”GOOGLE SEARCH TERM TRENDSPUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH 1/25/2021: 77% of Americans believe social media companies have too much influence in politics today, up from 72% in August 2020

● ‘A social dilemma’ cannot be allowed to become a social catastrophe. –Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, in January 2021 ● Just watched a Netflix documentary about social media called THE SOCIAL DILEMMA that terrified me more than any horror movie I have seen in the past twenty years… I do not think I ever realized how bad it was until I saw this doc. – Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin on Twitter and in his blog ● You must watch The Social Dilemma on @Netflix –with your kids if possible. It’s a great, terrifying documentary about the dangers of social media and the addiction they create and depend on. –Judd Apatow● Just watched #TheSocialDilemma, I think it should win Picture of the Year or at least best Documentary. Y’all should check it out! Sometimes if you knew better you’d do better. –Diddy● I just finished the documentary. I have to say that it was one of the most important documentaries I have ever seen. I literally cried. So well done. So intelligent! I hope everyone watches and I will definitely recommend. – Lawrence T.● This documentary actually changed my behavior. I told everyone I know on all my social media accounts to watch it and told them I was signing off and I did. This was terrifying, eye opening, and necessary in my life. Thank you for all you are doing. – Michelle R. PUBLIC EDUCATIONQUOTES

200+virtual appearances from our team and/or film subjects250K+estimated total audience across 130+ countriesSalesForceDemocratic Caucus DeloitteCanadian Parliament Cambridge Intellectual Forum SeriesDuke UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGoldman SachsGoogleHarvard Business SchoolLucasfilm Speaker SeriesMicrosoft“I am the mum of Stan, who has decided to give a presentation at school on The Social Dilemma. The event will run 6 weeks with a group of children between 11 and 12 years old. Every week he will have to talk about the subject: Why are we talking about it? What is behind it? How do we fight it?” –Melodie R., Den Haag, The NetherlandsMorgan StanleyNexus GlobalNIKEOxfamStanford UniversityUNICEFUberUnescoUnited NationsWorld BankWorld Press Freedom ConferenceWorld Ethical Data ForumSome notable organizations that have hosted events around the film:PUBLIC EDUCATIONEVENTScommunity-hosted conversations around the film to date 4.5K+

A survey about The Social Dilemma from UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers conducted this spring found that 55% of students talked to their friends or family about the film after watching, and 52% said it changed their perspective on social media and search technologiesYOUTH EMPOWERMENTHIGHLIGHTSWorked with Netflix to implement an accessibility solution for educators who want to screen The Social Dilemma to their students Collaborated on a virtual screening window and event for educators as part of Financial Literacy Month, reaching an estimated 11,000 students in the U.S., with concentrations in the South and MidwestPartnering with multiple urban debate leagues to create a The Social Dilemma-inspired classroom debate resource and virtual public debate this fall The Social Dilemma is the most important movie of our time. It is the only movie that matters in our world right now… This movie alone can provide insights and new perspectives that could change the world. – Tara S., educator and parent, California, USA educators, parents and youth have reached out to our team for resources, support + advice 4.5K+

● This documentary meant so much to me it actually made me emotional. This conversation is so necessary, and more people need to be having it. I can see the effects social media is having on my students’ development, attitudes, motivation, relationships, social/emotional awareness and wellbeing, and their overall success. I want to facilitate more conversations among my peers as well as with students and their parents. – Erin R., public school teacher● I watched the film today. Immediately after, I told my 15-year-old daughter about it, and deleted my Twitter with her watching. To my surprise, she pulled out her phone and deleted her TikTok. It wasn’t my eloquence. Turns out many of the points you make had been on her mind already, and the marshaling of data in your film was a tipping point. She said a lot of her friends are in a similar place, and a lot have seen the film. So there is hope. –Mitch B. ● We watched it as a family. At the start, our 9 & 11yr old daughters were not keen. After watching it, they themselves came up with the idea that except for schoolwork and their favourite cooking show, they will be staying away from screens for a week. They are on their 5th day and apart from one instance when one of them sneaked into their Tab to play games, things are looking pretty good. –Shawon K., Australia YOUTH EMPOWERMENTA conversation between young Lookup.Live grantees and our impact producer, Julia Hoppock, in May 2021A conversation during True Kids 1’s digital “social media bootcamp” in June 2021QUOTES

70+policymaker engagements to dateFebruary 2021 – After watching The Social Dilemma and talking with our team, State Senator Kerry Donovan (D-CO) introduced a bill requiring a study of how state lawmakers might pose local liability on Big Social March 2021 – Bipartisan film screening with the Canadian Parliament and members of an Inter-Parliamentary Task Force countering online hate and misinformationMarch 2021 – Engagement ahead of Energy & Commerce Committee Congressional Hearing:● Democratic Caucus screening with Nancy Pelosi, who requested that all committee staff watch The Social Dilemma ahead of the hearing● Consultation with Democratic and Republican leads ● Adoption of recommended questions and statistics into hearing testimony by both parties July 2021 – Our team joined forces with a major coalition of advocacy partners to begin work on a campaign calling for a Children’s Design Code in the U.S.; our impact producer, Julia Hoppock, will serve on the steering committeeAugust 2021 –A screening of The Social Dilemma and a policy presentation by our team will kick off a workshop with 40 state Attorneys General on bridging partisan divides and forging "A More Perfect Union Through Dialogue and Collaborative Problem Solving" POLITICAL WILL-BUILDINGHIGHLIGHTSEvery once in a while, a film comes along that changes the way people see an issue. The Social Dilemma did precisely that for surveillance capitalism, not just in homes, but also in the halls of Congress. For tech reform activists, the film was a godsend. – Film subject and former Facebook investor Roger McNamee 81% of Americans support banning companies from collecting people’s personal data and using it to target them with ads –Accountable Tech, January 2021

● After all my years in public life, in terms of what actually has the greatest impact on public policy, I think it's the courts and the film industry that does documentaries...You’re very powerful and you should recognize that. Look at climate change, it was Gore’s movie that got people really talking. I think what you’re doing is really important. –Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA) ● I would encourage both of you to see [The Social Dilemma]. –Senator Lindsey Graham (R-KY) told Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey during a fall 2020 congressional hearing● What The Social Dilemma captures so well is the fact that [social media’s] impact on society, democracy and our values are not on the radar of the tech executives: They want our attention, they want our personal data.” – Vera Jourova, Vice President for Values & Transparency at the European Commission, which proposed the Digital Services Act in December 2020 to increase the accountability of online platforms and the European Democracy Action Plan, a new pact against disinformation ● The Social Dilemma is a remarkable contribution to investigative work on the darker side of social media … I have seen how the mood in the Parliament is changing. – Sandra Kalniete, member of the European Parliament and reporter for the Special Committee on Foreign Interference● The success of documentaries such as The Social Dilemma shows that there is now an audience of millions around the world who are willing and able to understand the problem. –Frank Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s President POLITICAL WILL-BUILDINGQUOTESThe Social Dilemma screening with Nancy Pelosi for a Democratic Caucus event Photos confidential // not for sharing The Social Dilemma screening with the Candian parliament