Black Mirror is amongst my favorite #TV shows of all time. Each episode brilliantly explores various technologies and how they may affect our lives decades down the line. One of my favorite episodes is San Junipero, an 80s themed analysis on a virtual reality simulation that offers a renewal on life.
For those unfamiliar with this episode, let me give you a run-down on the technology. San Junipero is a virtual reality system created largely for the elderly. For many, it offers an escape from reality. The vast simulation features environments mimicking various decades. The idea is that a bedridden individual that can not relate to current #society can nostalgically relive their glory days. But that is not it. “Citizens” of San Junipero that choose to upload their consciousness to the world permanently escapes death, supposedly. In fact, most of the people in San Junipero have made this metaphysical world their home.
In this article, I would like to explore the possible effects of a world where citizens are offered the opportunity to transcend reality and essentially live forever.
A World for the Commoner
Disclaimer, I am an admitted conspiracy theorist, but here me out. It is common knowledge the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. This is erasing the middle class and increasing the wealth divided. Without monetary leverage to improve one’s condition, the vast majority may find the luxury of San Junipero more appealing than the physical world. As a result, two societies would emerge. Commoners would populate the limitless world of San Junipero while the extremely wealthy reclaim the physical world and flourish. Two dynamically different societies would emerge as each world develops its own customs and culture. However, these worlds would not be equal. We can assume that those running San Junipero would be among the wealthy class. The powerful would have more control over our lives than ever before.
Human Progression
We can easily imagine that such a paradigm shift in the human experience would greatly change the world around us. Human progression is spurred by a desire to improve our surroundings. The wheel was created because man wanted an easier means of transportation. Phones were created because man wanted an easier means of communication. In a world where anything can be created with a line of code, what is the drive to innovate? Perhaps in a new age, virtual #innovation is just as good as physical innovation… maybe it is the natural progression of advancement.
The Daunting Question
As previously mentioned, people had the option to permanently transfer over to the world of San Junipero. Essentially, their physical body was dead, but their consciousness was uploaded into the servers. However, one thing bothered me. How does anyone know for sure that they are actually entering San Junipero upon death?
In a time when a whole world can be created by computers, I am inclined to believe that people can be convincingly imulated. My greatest fear would be that the permanent citizens of San Junipero are merely AI’s mimicking past users while the actual people uploaded are dead. Perhaps San Junipero is actually a successfully executed mass genocide.
Shows like Black Mirror are so phenomenal because one’s viewing experience does not end when the credits role. This work of #art challenges preconceived notions and leaves viewers examining the world around them, and what is to come.