TECHNOLOGY VERSUS INDIVIDUAL: AN ANALYSIS ON INTERACTIVE FILM BLACK MIRROR: BANDERSNATCH

Abstract

One of the basic themes of technology-based dystopian narratives appears as the problem of self- determination. In these narratives that proceed through concepts such as surveillance and control; there are descriptions of a dark future in which the individual becomes an object. Netflix production Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (David Slade, 2018) examines the loss of individuality and the loss of self-determination. The film, as a technology-based narrative, connects these concepts to the impact of technology. In the narrative, a critical discourse has been developed over the possible impacts of technology by removing the self-determination of the protagonist by giving the audience the ability to choose instead. This study aims to examine the effects of technology on individuals and their freedom through the science fiction anthology Black Mirror. In this study, the issue of self-determination of an individual through the concepts of surveillance and technology is discussed within the interactive movie Bandersnatch, a part of the anthology. In this study, thematic content analysis is applied to the movie. It is concluded that the messages include technology will increase surveillance and control, and affect the loss of individuality in the postmodern society are predicted by Bandersnatch as in other Black Mirror episodes. Another result is that the Black Mirror anthology gives a critique of the present while narrating the future.