Picture it; Ferguson, Missouri in the wake of a highly detailed illustration of police brutality and corruption. A breakout in storm by the 24/7 news cycle and pundit savvy journalism leaves us all clinging to the point of sensory overload. But even with every major network in the eye of the storm the most realistic view comes from the local lens and social media commentary. Their agenda was not silenced by advertisement dollars or producers; it was real.
No matter which way your opinion leans on the matter a similar view can come from this episode of Black Mirror. While White Bear may tout the demons of an illusive criminal it also degrades a medium that serves as a burden and a resource. Technology and the internet have created a more connected world in ways that stretch far beyond social media and documentation; we have, literally, brought the corners of our realities together with the click of a button.
It is the dependence on this that has brought surveillance and ulterior motive under scrutiny. Given the political climate for individual freedom and anonymity White Bear is a visual illustration of the why in an extreme instance. But what would be the case if this wasn’t a sentence of punishment? Is surveillance and study acceptable if it’s not preventative or criminal? And if this isn’t the case what would be an acceptable alternative?
The motive of this opinion isn’t to connect technology and direct surveillance but to try and remove hypocrisy. The technology illustrated in this episode is the result of an advancing society; it is the fringe that misuses it for Orwellian purposes. Cases such as White Bear will continue to happen but that does not mean that is it’s sole purpose. We need this for accountability, especially if truth wants to continue to be part of our realities.
Comparing White Bear to the corruption of police force in Ferguson, Missouri is telling of the justice system in both White Bear's constructed world and our own.
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