InRealLife
Dir: Beeban Kidron
2013
**
Beeban Kidron raises a very good question. What effect does the internet, social media etc have on society, specifically, the first generation who grew up not knowing life without it. It's a good question. The same discussion came with the introduction of Television but that seems like peanuts compared. Unfortunately Kidron's approach is completely unbalanced and totally sensational. We follow a couple of young 15 year old boys who talk about love, masturbation and relationships. They come across as nasty boys, which I think they are, but to exploit them at such a young age isn't ethical and nasty boys have always existed, before and after the internet. We then hear from a girl who slept with a man to pay for a new phone, only to have it stolen the same day who then had to have oral sex with 5 men to get it back. Never was I convinced this was a real story, even if it is, it's only one very extreme side of the story. I do believe that the internet and the way kids are being used by big corporations within the web is a serious concern but if you want to raise the issue seriously, you have to adhere to the rules. The talking heads interviews with various 'experts' is 50/50, some are respectable Professors and some are pop-psychologists and all seem to have a book for sale on the subject. A real missed opportunity and to be honest, a bit lazy.