Australia: In his two-part documentary about how the Internet is a giant, uncontrolled psychology experiment that’s changing us, Canadian-born Australian award-winning documentary-maker and television presenter, Todd Sampson is highlighting that situation isn’t just scary but real.
The documentary, titled Mirror Mirror: Love & Hate, the former advertising executive offers a first-person account of the mind-altering potential of technology where youngsters prefer the online world to the actual one and grown men fall in love with a personalized chat bot.
The film remains extremely relevant in the day and age as it was released just days after a UK medical examiner determined that social media contributed to a teen’s death.
“Generally, people who make the claim that it’s moral panic are people without children,” Mr. Sampson briefed in a TV show in Australia.
“Because if you have kids, you realize it is not moral panic, it is just reality.” Mr. Sampson added.
The acclaimed documentary maker emphasizes that, “I no longer see it as moral panic or alarm but as an important use of my voice. I understand that people who may not have kids or are extremely engaged in tech firms won’t like it. However, I only gave a broad overview of the stories, starting with a 14 month old and going all the way up to a 65 year old.”
Sampson, a former chief executive of the advertising firm Leo Burnett Australia, left his job to pursue a career in television. Sampson created and hosted the inaugural season of the body image focused television show Mirror Mirror as well as a number of films, including Life on the Line, Body Hack, and Redesign My Brain.
Mr. Sampson provides some concerning data, including the eSafety Commissioner’s estimate that the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and videos has increased by 245 percentage over the past three years.
Facts also reveal that 70 percentage of children have encountered hate speech online, and that teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on devices are 35 percentage more likely to experience suicidal thoughts.
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