6 Films about Social Media and the Digital Age
- Featured Film
Staff Writer- 11 minutes read
Just as we bid adieu to 2023, a year marked by viral trends and ceaseless scrolling, Netflix has released Kho Gaye Hum Kahan – a cinematic exploration of social media and the digital generation. The film, that released on December 26, gracefully prompts us to introspect on our place within the expansive, interconnected web of likes, shares, and hashtags.
It also makes it clear that the silver screen has become an ironic yet potent storyteller of our screen-saturated lives. Although this film has been lauded for effectively tackling such relevant themes, it is far from the first to do so. Here is a line-up of 6 other films that prompt similar contemplation on the ever-evolving dynamics between humanity and the digital sphere.
Eighth Grade (2018)
Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade follows Kayla, a shy teen who makes self-help vlogs brimming with confidence—advice she can’t follow in real life. Voted ‘Most Quiet’ by her classmates, she carefully curates her online persona with makeup and lighting, masking both acne and insecurity. The film captures the gap between who she is, who she wants to be, and who the world sees.
Available on Amazon Prime Video.
Ingrid Goes West (2017)
The dark comedy Ingrid Goes West follows Aubrey Plaza as a social media-obsessed loner who takes influencer envy too far. Fixated on seemingly perfect Instagram star, Taylor Sloane, Ingrid moves to LA, stages a “chance” meeting, and worms her way into Taylor’s life. As the two grow close, the film skewers the desperation behind a curated persona with biting humour and eerie accuracy.
Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Not Okay (2022)
The comedy drama film Not Okay follows Danni Sanders, a lonely aspiring writer who fakes a Paris trip to impress an influencer—only for her lie to spiral when a real terrorist attack strikes. Mistaken for a survivor, she basks in viral fame, unable to confess. As the film unpacks trauma exploitation and online validation, Danni’s own illusions unravel, revealing the cost of chasing relevance.
Available on Disney+ Hotstar.
The Social Dilemma (2020)
Jeff Orlowski-Yang’s The Social Dilemma unpacks the underbelly and inner mechanisms of social media through whistleblowers from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The documentary argues that addiction isn’t a flaw—it’s the product. Interviews with tech insiders reveal how features like infinite scrolling and push notifications manipulate users, while dramatised vignettes show a family unraveling under social media’s grip.
Available on Netflix.
Don’t Look Up (2022)
Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up takes aim at a society more obsessed with trending topics than impending catastrophe. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play astronomers sounding the alarm on a planet-killing comet, only to be met with memes, denial, and media spin. A sharp satire of climate inaction and digital-age distractions, the film makes it so you can’t help but laugh at how uncomfortably it mirrors reality.
Available on Netflix.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies turns a blackout into a Gen Z nightmare. When a group of wealthy young adults lose power during a storm, they’re less concerned about survival than their missing WiFi. As suspicion escalates, they hurl therapy-speak, make TikToks mid-crisis, and spiral into chaos—exposing the absurd ways technology shapes their every interaction.
Available on Netflix.
