Documentary Filmmaker Jeff Orlowski Uncovers Invisible Threat With 'The Social Dilemma'
In this Forbes interview, Jeff Orlowski tells writer Angela Dawson that The Social Dilemma set out to expose design tactics — such as personalized 'filter bubbles' and algorithmically tailored feeds — that he links to compulsive use and teenage mental-health strain, illustrated in the film through a scripted teen character manipulated by algorithms. Orlowski describes recognizing his own heavy, habitual social-media use during production and says he reduced his platform use by identifying personal triggers and swapping habits, reporting improved focus afterward. He frames the film's goal as pushing for changes to the advertising-driven business model behind these platforms rather than relying on individual willpower alone. TechKids Foundation cites this piece as a first-person account of Orlowski's own behavior-change experience tied directly to making the film.
Dawson, Angela. "Documentary Filmmaker Jeff Orlowski Uncovers Invisible Threat With 'The Social Dilemma.'" Forbes, Sept. 7, 2020.