Could Netflix’s Black Mirror “Hang the DJ” actually happen?
Netflix’s show Black mirror covers topics, situations, ideas that seem a bit outlandish to some, possible for others and straight out seemingly impossible to imagine. It really depends on if you are glass half empty or a glass half full person. In other words, it’s about your personality. Are you optimistic, pessimistic or even a realist about life in general?
Black Mirror’s episode “Hang the DJ” explores futuristic dating per say. Well something changes in the way we have relationships, not necessarily in the way we date. The same things occur on dates as do today but what if you knew beforehand how long a relationship would last? Well in this episode, exactly that happens.
Frank and Amy meet on a date that is set up by some sort of Internet dating app that calculates matches based on personality and reactions to experiences. I am sure it is more complicated than that in the way it figures out a match. I would imagine, preferences in height, weight, ethnicity, attractiveness and many more come into play-normal interpersonal characteristics that define two individuals in relation to what you are looking for in a potential mate.
Their date goes a bit awkwardly since they are meeting for the first time. They seem to have a connection though. Showcasing the difference, Frank and Amy decide to find out together when their relationship is suppose to end. Bad news, it’s a quick one. Only a few hours that they would be able to spend together.
After the dinner, they finish off their relationship knowing that they had to part ways a few hours later (For those who haven’t seen it, I’ll try to leave out important spoilers). At the end, they know they both like each other and don’t want it to end.
As they explore different relationships that puts end dates on them for specific reasons. The system which runs on reactions and values experiences with other people as determining a perfect match. They both go through ups and downs of their other relationships. In the end though, they do get to meet their match. You’ll have to see it to find out!
In this episode, a lot of things are going on and present. We have the system running on this Apple Watch looking apparatus on everybody’s wrist. Apps that are for dating and matching based on location.
I could definitely see something like this happening as a futuristic way of dating, relationships and such. We have already came so far with Tinder, Bumble and other apps that allow dating for similar minded people. Apps that include occupational similarities (Farmers Only) (Doctors Only), apps that include political similarities (RepublicanPeopleMeet) (Liberal Hearts). You name it, there is a dating app for it.
With the way AI (Artificial intelligence) is becoming more and more advanced, I believe that it could get as far as putting ends to certain relationships based on so many things and experiences. It could calculate how long or short people would get bored of each other based on a number of different criteria. Aspects that I could see happening include browser history – looking up ways to cheat, sex drive with a person-does he or she still find a significant other attractive or does the persons’ sexual arousal change over time. The list could go on and on, on when a relationship can last or that it could be somewhat pre-determined based on past experiences of each other.
Overall, it’s a tricky line that was definitely crossed with this episode and this idea that the producer had. I mean you don’t just come up with that out of the blue. That episode is carefully produced that properly thought out. I really liked it and from all that I said, I am optimistic that something like this could definitely happen in the future.
–Nick Sutherland (@Sudsy8)