Netflixβs The Circle: a Scary Look Into Social Media
Netflixβs newest original, The Circle presented by Michelle Buteau, pleases audiences with a 4.5 rating and an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many enjoy the relatable, unscripted and realistic aspects of the show.
The show puts different people in soundproof apartments where they have to communicate through a screen, like real-life social media. They only know people based on their profiles and upload statuses. Each contestantsβ goal is to become the number one influencer, needing to persuade the other contestants and be liked by the majority of the people to be voted the βmost popularβ in the circle. The contestant who gets the most votes by the end of the show wins $100,000.
At the end of every other episode, the contestants vote on rankings and rate people from most to least liked. Those who got the least amount of votes had to go home, but before they did, they got to go and meet one person, many of which were portraying someone else in the game, being questioned as to why they were not themselves.
The show prompts viewers to stop and think about how it portrays real life. With a society that is obsessed with technology and social media, we do not associate with those who are not on social media. It definitely shows us how social media creates assumptions and social gaps based on pictures, status and captions. The contestants were all playing either as themselves or someone else that they thought would portray them as a likable person on social media, basically being a βcatfishβ. However, only one of those who was acting as someone else got to the end of the game.
The series is eventful, making it intriguing to watch each episode. The producers did excellently planning out the game and made sure the audience stayed engaged. Thereβs wasnβt a moment in the show where I wasnβt entertained.
