The internet - one of the most important inventions ever. The internet is a fantastic and useful tool that has been undeniably helpful in various ways; it allows us to be in contact with others across the globe, it is educational and allows us to build our knowledge, and becomes a place where we can exchange feelings, love, and exciting moments that we encounter with our friends and loved ones. Instant communication across countries, where we can learn about other cultures and how others live, has become possible through the internet, and we have become an extremely powerful society as a result.
Maybe that's also our biggest concern, power. We have the power to cause hate on the internet and wreak havoc and destruction; we can be secretive, deceiving and destroying people, all through a computer screen. The internet provides all the means we need to cyber-attack others and ruin lives, with stalkers, haters, trolls, thieves, and some of the most awful people with cruel intentions all taking advantage of the internet's powers. Why? How? We can ask ourselves that, but the Netflix series Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet can answer it for you by delving into the dark side of the online world.
A Look at the Dark Side in Web of Make Believe
Much like other recent Netflix documentaries like The Tinder Swindler, Web of Make Believe focus on disturbing true stories of people who have been affected by the dark side of the internet. Great for documentary fans and anyone who has ever been hurt on the internet, these true stories follow those who have been sucked into deep, dark, holes online, twisted by manipulating information and deception through the screen.
Through six documentary-style episodes, viewers are shown examples of how people's lives have been ruined through the internet in ways they had never imagined. Those involved are introduced, and then the episode goes on to explain the crimes committed and how the internet made it possible to do so. Hearing such horrendous crimes and how it has affected lives in such a drastic way is of course extremely intriguing, and is something most people fear these days, what with everything being digital and everyone being vulnerable. Understanding how easy it is to control the internet, manipulate people, and be so deceiving is shocking and definitely will alter the way you view the online world.
Another important question that crosses the mind when watching Web of Make Believe is how on earth can one individual human do so much harm over the internet? How is it possible? It is a depressing and incredibly important question, and this documentary shows us exactly how it is made possible for one singular person to cause every viewer watching to become a victim. While the cases presented, like sex extortion, are incredibly terrifying, the documentary also included interviews with those who use the internet for good. For every victim, there is always someone who can help. These interviews are of people who were also involved in the cases, who help to shut people down and support those they've hurt.
Haunting Exposures and Important Lessons From the Internet
The docuseries is appropriately dark and twisted, and exposes all the things wrong with the online world. As an extremely thought-provoking show, What To Watch describes Netflix's original synopsis as:
Haunting, bizarre and up-to-the-moment relevant, the series explores consequences of “SWATing”, takes a chilling trip down the rabbit hole of white supremacy, joins a Federal hunt for the suspect of a brazen IRS heist and investigates a murder set against the backdrop of Russian election interference. Rich with distinctive characters and surprising plotlines, reality is warped when the ordinary American household collides with a chaotic web of misinformation.
Of course, on the base level, Web of Make Believe sometimes seems like the filmmakers are just throwing all of this disastrous evidence at us, but what Netflix has done is provided us with something that can help us understand what goes on right under our nose, even if it is a tough pill to swallow.
For parents, it is a chance to understand the risks associated with the digital world and to look at seriously dangerous problems with the internet. Despite us all being knowledgeable about the pros and cons of the internet and how to warn our children of cyberbullying and who to talk to safely online, Web of Make Believe reveals just how extreme it can be, showing the severity of more dangerous and life-threatening crimes that can occur.
The Internet is Great and it's Killing You
Web of Make Believe allows us to question how and what we teach our children, as it features firsthand events and harsh discussions surrounding topics like sexual behavior and the glorification of sexual assault, which includes the dangers and risks of sharing nude photographs via social media (especially regarding Facebook and Twitter); it also features conversations on the dangers of gaming online, which has become an extremely common form of entertainment and socialization among children and their friends. In more mature topics, it also covers crimes like filing false criminal complaints against people, supporting extremism, drugs, sexual violence, and suicide, all of which are portrayed through violent imagery and real-life occurrences.
People may shrug off mean YouTube comments or offensive tweets, but the toxicity of social media and comments sections are literally killing people, driving the rise in suicide rates and depression diagnoses for younger people especially. The internet is brimming with fans ruining the franchises they love, attacking actors and directors online, harassing creators into bending to their will. The internet may be a playground, but it's a lethal one.
All of these discussions and topics can quickly turn into something darker and life-threatening than we had ever expected, which makes this documentary a great form of education, helping us understand all the ways we can protect ourselves and our children, and stay safe online. Whatever the topic is, they are all crimes that go on around us every day, and while we may always think that it will never happen to us, when the dark reality is that it can happen to you, your child, your loved ones or a friend. In a shocking, disturbing, emotional, and educational documentary, we are shown the extreme reality of the dark side of the internet.