The majority of today’s population is very selfconscious of Essay

The majority of today’s population is very self-conscious of what others think of them. In the Black Mirror episode “Nosedive,” Lacie Pound lives in a world where people’s place in society is based on a system of number rankings. Her daily routine is filled with the constant worry and pressure of upholding her social image, which she believes to be a normal life. When confronted about her lifestyle choices, Lacie mentions the so-called “numbers game,” explaining, “until I get there I have to play the numbers game.

We all do. That’s how the world works” (“Nosedive”). The ranking that one possesses determines how others perceive them and the “numbers game” belongs to the world of social media, the artificial world. Lacie is distanced from realism and is not able to visualize the real world because she involves herself in this “game.” She is quick to admit that this is “how the world works,” but to accept something such as this is not sufficient.

Lacie and the rapidly growing online community are interacting in an artificial manner, one which does not have true meaning and character. Moreover, Lacie is in the car with a woman who does not agree with what Lacie is telling her. Lacie discovers an opposing viewpoint and as the conversation develops, the woman sarcastically replies to Lacie, “Don’t worry. I’m not voting you down” (“Nosedive”). The woman is making a joke that she will not give Lacie a lower rating. However, in truth, she is also trying to explain that the younger

generation is further separating themselves from reality. In addition, she implies that soon enough, no real relationships will be created and the population will no longer know what face to face interaction is.

Lacie is controlled by an internal fear of imperfection which consequently causes her to lose her personality. She talks to a man named Hansen who guides her by giving her strategies to obtain higher ratings. Hansen tells Lacie that she needs “high fours. Impress those up-scale folks, you’ll gain velocity on your arc and there’s your boost” (“Nosedive”). Lacie completely agrees with Hansen because she is insecure about her rating. However, Lacie has a never-ending fear that her rating will drop, which causes her to behave differently around others. For example, if Lacie is speaking with someone with a higher rating, she switches her manner of speech solely to raise her number. Essentially, every step during the day is a competitive one for Lacie because she tries to stand out from everybody else. When her coworker, Chester, goes through a breakup, Lacie chooses not to support or speak to him because she knows it will end up lowering her rating. Lacie’s behavior shows her cowardliness because she does not want her followers’ opinion of her to tarnish. Rather than simply enjoying time with others and having the courage to critique people directly, the new generation reverts to their mindless digital realm which creates an atmosphere with much tension that disturbs the peace of daily lives.