Hang The DJ: Black Mirror tackles online dating and modern romance
If you already find online dating daunting and, at times, depressing, Black Mirror just took it up a notch. In the season four episode ‘Hang The DJ, it did what the show does so well - showed the dangers of our increasing dependence on technology. But, although the episode was set in the future, it actually gave a huge amount of insight into what dating is already like. The episode shines a light on the pitfalls and dangers of our dating app culture, because, when it comes dating, technology has already crept way the eff in.
How does it do it? Well- spoilers ahead - if you havent watched the episode (and you should), it focuses on two daters. In the episode, Frank and Amy meet up for a date set up by the “system”. The system seems to be a self-contained world where youre matched with a person and the two of you pair up for a predetermined amount of time- whether just a few hours or for years. You have a personal coach, a pebble-like device you carry around and to which you can ask questions- and this device also lets you know how long youll be together. It picks up information about you and how you respond to each partner, to eventually find you your final and perfect match.
But something odd is afoot from the beginning of the episode. There are menacing-looking bouncers who seem to be ensuring you follow the rules and dont talk too much about life outside the system. There is no connection to the outside world. Frank and Amy comment on some of the oddities when they are paired up for their first date, which lasts only about a day and a half. Then they are each paired up in other relationships- all of which are ill-fated, especially when compared to the genuine chemistry the two seem to share. Frank and Amy continue bumping into each other and, as they are given a chance to resolve things before Amy is paired off forever, they decide to run away together and try to escape the system. When they escape, the world dissolves around them and it is clear that the entire episode we just saw was a simulation run by a dating app. [...]
