[This is the next installment in my ongoing series of reviews of Black Mirror. These posts DO include spoilers. Stop reading now if you don’t want to know!]
[Note from Dr. J: What follows is a guest post on S4E2 “Arkangel” from Shannon M. Mussett, a brilliant philosopher and dear friend with whom I frequently disagree about almost all things technological. I’ll be posting my own review of “Arkangel” in the coming days. Enjoy!]
Recently, Utah made national news for being the
first state to pass a “Free Range
Parenting” law. This was a refreshing new limelight to be in, as the last
time we made national headlines was with Trump’s shrinking of Bears Ears
National Monument in the interests of uranium,
coal,
and oil mining. According The
Washington Post, the Free-Range law
stipulates that, “state child-welfare authorities
can no longer take children away from their parents if their kids are caught
doing … various activities alone, as long as their kids are adequately fed,
clothed and cared for.” Some, such as Jessica McCrory Calarco, have voiced
concerns about a double
standard with the law —that it will be unevenly
enforced according to class, with poorer parents being held to less forgiving
standards—and that it isn’t exactly clear where to draw the line: “The law doesn’t specify when free-range parenting becomes
neglectful parenting, and that gives authorities an uncomfortable amount of
discretion.” Overall, however, the response has been generally positive, if not
slightly snarky.
first state to pass a “Free Range
Parenting” law. This was a refreshing new limelight to be in, as the last
time we made national headlines was with Trump’s shrinking of Bears Ears
National Monument in the interests of uranium,
coal,
and oil mining. According The
Washington Post, the Free-Range law
stipulates that, “state child-welfare authorities
can no longer take children away from their parents if their kids are caught
doing … various activities alone, as long as their kids are adequately fed,
clothed and cared for.” Some, such as Jessica McCrory Calarco, have voiced
concerns about a double
standard with the law —that it will be unevenly
enforced according to class, with poorer parents being held to less forgiving
standards—and that it isn’t exactly clear where to draw the line: “The law doesn’t specify when free-range parenting becomes
neglectful parenting, and that gives authorities an uncomfortable amount of
discretion.” Overall, however, the response has been generally positive, if not
slightly snarky.
The Boomers certainly
think this is a bunch of foolishness, given that their parents played very
different roles as caregivers for them. For someone like me, and my fellow Gen-Xers,
this whole free-range parenting idea-made-law can appear a bit baffling. Many
of us were the original “latch-key kids,” children whose parents or guardians
were at work before we left for school and/or still at work when we returned. I
was walking to school alone by first grade, responsible for setting my alarm,
fixing my own breakfast, making sure my homework was done, and taking care of
myself after school. Still, I was fortunate enough to have parents who were
home in time to make supper and were generally around in the evenings. This did
not seem weird to me. But now that I have my own children, raising them in the
age of “helicopter-parenting,” it kind of looks like neglect. I know for a fact
that much of my independence comes from having to take care of myself as a
child and teenager. But I often felt like Philoctetes, abandoned on Lemnos,
waiting for someone to show up. And the few times that I faced a scary
situation, I didn’t have anyone to turn to for immediate help. And that was
terrifying.
think this is a bunch of foolishness, given that their parents played very
different roles as caregivers for them. For someone like me, and my fellow Gen-Xers,
this whole free-range parenting idea-made-law can appear a bit baffling. Many
of us were the original “latch-key kids,” children whose parents or guardians
were at work before we left for school and/or still at work when we returned. I
was walking to school alone by first grade, responsible for setting my alarm,
fixing my own breakfast, making sure my homework was done, and taking care of
myself after school. Still, I was fortunate enough to have parents who were
home in time to make supper and were generally around in the evenings. This did
not seem weird to me. But now that I have my own children, raising them in the
age of “helicopter-parenting,” it kind of looks like neglect. I know for a fact
that much of my independence comes from having to take care of myself as a
child and teenager. But I often felt like Philoctetes, abandoned on Lemnos,
waiting for someone to show up. And the few times that I faced a scary
situation, I didn’t have anyone to turn to for immediate help. And that was
terrifying.
Which brings me to Arkangel, S4 E2 in the Black Mirror phenomenon. Directed by
Jodie Foster (the first woman to direct an episode, in a season refreshingly
filled with female protagonists) I was sure it would be one of the best. When I
first watched it, I saw its flaws, but I was still deeply affected by it. The
tightness in the chest that comes from being a parent was at full torque as I
saw Marie (Rosemarie
DeWitt), a single mother trying to raise her
daughter, Sara, in the current era of technological saturation. I identified
with her anxieties, I understood why she would voluntarily implant a chip in
her daughter’s head so that she could see through her daughter’s eyes, monitor
her body, and control what she can and cannot perceive. Of course, I would never do that (so say we all)
but part of the deliciousness of Black
Mirror is to see that this technology, if not already here, soon will be,
and of course people will use it.
Many parents use video baby monitors, track their children’s cell phones, and
pepper nanny-cams throughout the home. Why wouldn’t they microchip their kids
when they already microchip their dogs? I thought it was a profound vision of
the specific flavor of tension parents feel right now raising children.
Jodie Foster (the first woman to direct an episode, in a season refreshingly
filled with female protagonists) I was sure it would be one of the best. When I
first watched it, I saw its flaws, but I was still deeply affected by it. The
tightness in the chest that comes from being a parent was at full torque as I
saw Marie (Rosemarie
DeWitt), a single mother trying to raise her
daughter, Sara, in the current era of technological saturation. I identified
with her anxieties, I understood why she would voluntarily implant a chip in
her daughter’s head so that she could see through her daughter’s eyes, monitor
her body, and control what she can and cannot perceive. Of course, I would never do that (so say we all)
but part of the deliciousness of Black
Mirror is to see that this technology, if not already here, soon will be,
and of course people will use it.
Many parents use video baby monitors, track their children’s cell phones, and
pepper nanny-cams throughout the home. Why wouldn’t they microchip their kids
when they already microchip their dogs? I thought it was a profound vision of
the specific flavor of tension parents feel right now raising children.
But
when I re-watched the episode, two things happened: 1) It appeared to be a very
ham-fisted critique of modern parenting. As Tasha Robinson observes: “That’s the problem with the fourth season’s
weakest installment, ‘Arkangel,’ which follows the usual Black
Mirror pattern of pushing existing technology a few iterations into
the future, then considering the nightmarish consequences. For once, Brooker
doesn’t take the premise far enough from our present reality: the episode
doesn’t say much more than ‘helicopter parenting is bad,’ and ‘holding too
tightly to kids will just push them away.’” Robinson has a point. It does feel
a little overbearing with those messages. 2) What I had thought was there,
wasn’t really there. I wanted it to say what I was feeling, namely, the overwhelming burden of having brought
children into what increasingly looks like a politically, socially, and
environmentally collapsing world. And all of the guilt, fear, and
second-guessing that even the most oblivious of caregivers feel on some level.
It is, in truth, a monstrous burden at times. However, it’s not really Arkangel’s burden, at least not directly.
when I re-watched the episode, two things happened: 1) It appeared to be a very
ham-fisted critique of modern parenting. As Tasha Robinson observes: “That’s the problem with the fourth season’s
weakest installment, ‘Arkangel,’ which follows the usual Black
Mirror pattern of pushing existing technology a few iterations into
the future, then considering the nightmarish consequences. For once, Brooker
doesn’t take the premise far enough from our present reality: the episode
doesn’t say much more than ‘helicopter parenting is bad,’ and ‘holding too
tightly to kids will just push them away.’” Robinson has a point. It does feel
a little overbearing with those messages. 2) What I had thought was there,
wasn’t really there. I wanted it to say what I was feeling, namely, the overwhelming burden of having brought
children into what increasingly looks like a politically, socially, and
environmentally collapsing world. And all of the guilt, fear, and
second-guessing that even the most oblivious of caregivers feel on some level.
It is, in truth, a monstrous burden at times. However, it’s not really Arkangel’s burden, at least not directly.
But the episode does get
something right. Aside from the obvious helicopter parenting = bad narrative,
there is a subtler thread not unrelated to the weight of raising young humans
in a disintegrating world. From the moment of birth (“Is she okay?” Marie asks
immediately, “What is it? Say she’s okay.”) there arises a growing pressure
between the demands of constant attentiveness to every aspect of a child’s
welfare, and the increasing impossibility of meeting those demands. Parental
control is always an illusion, but perhaps more so now than ever before. And
although there is an obvious class issue in play here, as many parents cannot
afford the luxury of cosset parenting, I think it is important that Marie is a
working class single mother who jumps at the opportunity to provide
technological supervision for her daughter through a free trial of Arkangel’s
services. This seems to say that the fears behind hypervigilant parenting are
largely shared, even if the resources to do it are not.
something right. Aside from the obvious helicopter parenting = bad narrative,
there is a subtler thread not unrelated to the weight of raising young humans
in a disintegrating world. From the moment of birth (“Is she okay?” Marie asks
immediately, “What is it? Say she’s okay.”) there arises a growing pressure
between the demands of constant attentiveness to every aspect of a child’s
welfare, and the increasing impossibility of meeting those demands. Parental
control is always an illusion, but perhaps more so now than ever before. And
although there is an obvious class issue in play here, as many parents cannot
afford the luxury of cosset parenting, I think it is important that Marie is a
working class single mother who jumps at the opportunity to provide
technological supervision for her daughter through a free trial of Arkangel’s
services. This seems to say that the fears behind hypervigilant parenting are
largely shared, even if the resources to do it are not.
These fears manifest
throughout the episode. Take the example of Sara’s exposure to graphic
real-world violence and pornography. The latter is so abundant and easily
accessible, that it is not uncommon for children as young as six or seven to
have already viewed it. And this is not the
finding-your-brother’s-porn-stash-under-the-mattress kind of exposure, but, as Arkangel reminds us, exposure to a lot
of hard-core and violent sex acts that children simply cannot process (“You
can’t make babies that way,” Trick says, “They have to do it different for
that.” So we can imagine they are not watching your garden variety Ron Jeremy
delivering a pizza). And although parents know this is inevitable, it doesn’t
make it easier to stomach. With our parental control apps, we give ourselves
the fantasy of protecting childhood, but deep down we know it’s futile. What is
the very first thing young Sara does when her mother shuts down the Arkangel
system? Binge watch all the sex and violence previously prohibited, because, of
course she would. What is the first thing your kid, with her
parental-controlled gadgetry will do? Find the one kid on the bus whose contraption
isn’t so protected and just like that, all your years of watchfulness are
undone.
throughout the episode. Take the example of Sara’s exposure to graphic
real-world violence and pornography. The latter is so abundant and easily
accessible, that it is not uncommon for children as young as six or seven to
have already viewed it. And this is not the
finding-your-brother’s-porn-stash-under-the-mattress kind of exposure, but, as Arkangel reminds us, exposure to a lot
of hard-core and violent sex acts that children simply cannot process (“You
can’t make babies that way,” Trick says, “They have to do it different for
that.” So we can imagine they are not watching your garden variety Ron Jeremy
delivering a pizza). And although parents know this is inevitable, it doesn’t
make it easier to stomach. With our parental control apps, we give ourselves
the fantasy of protecting childhood, but deep down we know it’s futile. What is
the very first thing young Sara does when her mother shuts down the Arkangel
system? Binge watch all the sex and violence previously prohibited, because, of
course she would. What is the first thing your kid, with her
parental-controlled gadgetry will do? Find the one kid on the bus whose contraption
isn’t so protected and just like that, all your years of watchfulness are
undone.
Violence and pornography are,
of course, standard boogeymen of parenting. But what we see in helicopter
parenting is an excessive overcorrection. In fact, it is symptomatic of
contemporary parenting which, at least in this sense, is highly reactive. To what is it reacting? Given
that this question is contextualized in the Black
Mirror universe, it is safe to say that it is reacting in large part to
rapid changes and developments in technology and communication. There is no
transitional moment into the internet, smart devices, and ubiquitous
observation. It is simply the world into which most children in advanced
capitalist society are born. From this perspective, pornography and violence
are only two of what feels like infinite battlefronts. Parents feel besieged,
under attack, suspicious, and paranoid. Perceiving attacks on all sides, the
reactive move is to hover and fret and scrutinize. How much easier it would all
be, we might say to our over-extended and highly neurotic selves—if we could
just implant the damn chip and get a good night’s sleep for once.
of course, standard boogeymen of parenting. But what we see in helicopter
parenting is an excessive overcorrection. In fact, it is symptomatic of
contemporary parenting which, at least in this sense, is highly reactive. To what is it reacting? Given
that this question is contextualized in the Black
Mirror universe, it is safe to say that it is reacting in large part to
rapid changes and developments in technology and communication. There is no
transitional moment into the internet, smart devices, and ubiquitous
observation. It is simply the world into which most children in advanced
capitalist society are born. From this perspective, pornography and violence
are only two of what feels like infinite battlefronts. Parents feel besieged,
under attack, suspicious, and paranoid. Perceiving attacks on all sides, the
reactive move is to hover and fret and scrutinize. How much easier it would all
be, we might say to our over-extended and highly neurotic selves—if we could
just implant the damn chip and get a good night’s sleep for once.
So maybe the heavy-handedness
and obviousness of the whole episode is the point. Because here’s the thing—it
actually is that obvious, that blunt. Superficial maybe, but only insofar as
your insides are your outsides and your outsides are your insides when you are
responsible for raising children. You wear your fears and anxieties and
failures on your skin, it moves like a breeze through the tiniest hairs on your
arms as you stumble uncertainly through a bewildering world. You know you can’t
protect them because you can’t even protect yourself. And you either brought
them into all of this or willingly took on their caregiving. But they didn’t
ask for any of it. We are all here, without having asked to be, and in our most
vulnerable and scared times, we curse those who brought us into existence. Sara’s
violence to her mother in their last moments together speaks viscerally of the
existential anger that all children feel at some point. But her attempted
matricide is even more intense because the anger is stoked by her mother’s grossly
misguided attempts to protect and shield. All of this comes to a head in the
moment that Sara bashes her mother’s face with the very technology used to spy
on her; in the end, everyone is robbed of the ability to see what is going to
happen next.
and obviousness of the whole episode is the point. Because here’s the thing—it
actually is that obvious, that blunt. Superficial maybe, but only insofar as
your insides are your outsides and your outsides are your insides when you are
responsible for raising children. You wear your fears and anxieties and
failures on your skin, it moves like a breeze through the tiniest hairs on your
arms as you stumble uncertainly through a bewildering world. You know you can’t
protect them because you can’t even protect yourself. And you either brought
them into all of this or willingly took on their caregiving. But they didn’t
ask for any of it. We are all here, without having asked to be, and in our most
vulnerable and scared times, we curse those who brought us into existence. Sara’s
violence to her mother in their last moments together speaks viscerally of the
existential anger that all children feel at some point. But her attempted
matricide is even more intense because the anger is stoked by her mother’s grossly
misguided attempts to protect and shield. All of this comes to a head in the
moment that Sara bashes her mother’s face with the very technology used to spy
on her; in the end, everyone is robbed of the ability to see what is going to
happen next.
Maybe there isn’t a deeper
meaning because it’s all epidermis—tense, scared, fraught—and yet somehow,
hopeful that it will all work out ok. Marie wants to do right, her aloneness in
making decisions is accentuated by her single parenthood, but even those who
raise children in relationships of two, three, or more know that it is always
uncertain, those choices we make on behalf of others. No village will ever be
big enough.
meaning because it’s all epidermis—tense, scared, fraught—and yet somehow,
hopeful that it will all work out ok. Marie wants to do right, her aloneness in
making decisions is accentuated by her single parenthood, but even those who
raise children in relationships of two, three, or more know that it is always
uncertain, those choices we make on behalf of others. No village will ever be
big enough.
I imagine it’s always been
this way, but it is hard not to feel that we live at a time where the social
demands are such that we be vigilant in our caregiving 24 hours a day, yet
acutely aware that very little of what we do will actually protect our charges.
Hopefully, it won’t end with them hopping into an unknown trucker’s cab, headed
into nowhere, and with nothing. But you never know, it just might.
this way, but it is hard not to feel that we live at a time where the social
demands are such that we be vigilant in our caregiving 24 hours a day, yet
acutely aware that very little of what we do will actually protect our charges.
Hopefully, it won’t end with them hopping into an unknown trucker’s cab, headed
into nowhere, and with nothing. But you never know, it just might.