[Niamh.]

How Creepy

Black Mirror’s ‘Nosedive’ episode is about to become reality in China



Another day, another terrifying Black Mirror prediction come true. This time, it’s season three’s ‘Nosedive’ episode.

In the opener to Black Mirror‘s third season, members of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian society are judged by a numeric rating given to them by their interactions with other people – better interactions can lead to a higher rating, while bad ones lead to a lower one. With lower ratings, lesser opportunities are available and vice versa, leading to the protagonist’s life crumbling after she receives too many negative votes from her peers.

Now, Chinese authorities are apparently trialling a new social credit system which sounds eerily reminiscent of Brooker’s vision.

As the Telegraph report, citizens will be ‘scored’ between 350 and 950. Good deeds such as donating blood, charity work or posting positive messages about the country will result in a higher rating.

Conversely, being friends with someone ‘undesirable’ on social media will lead to a lower ‘score’, as will cancelling a reservation, or engaging in any other bad deeds.

Higher ratings will be rewarded with everything from cheaper public transport, to shorter waits at hospitals, while low ranking citizens will have restricted access to come hotels and restaurants, and a slower internet speed.

The terrifying prospect is on course to be tested by 2020.

The news comes a day after Japan revealed a real-life version of the horrifying robot dog in Black Mirror‘s ‘Metalhead’, which itself came just weeks after another season four prophecy about a potentially killer robot pizza delivery van came true, which prompted Black Mirror themselves to respond, “We know how this goes.”

Shortly after that, the relationship button from Black Mirror’s ‘Hang The DJ’ episode then became available to try online.
Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/tv/black-mir...OZ2AOEE3wdZ.99

Black Mirror
Another day, another terrifying Black Mirror prediction come true. This time, it’s season three’s ‘Nosedive’ episode.

In the opener to Black Mirror‘s third season, members of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian society are judged by a numeric rating given to them by their interactions with other people – better interactions can lead to a higher rating, while bad ones lead to a lower one. With lower ratings, lesser opportunities are available and vice versa, leading to the protagonist’s life crumbling after she receives too many negative votes from her peers.

Now, Chinese authorities are apparently trialling a new social credit system which sounds eerily reminiscent of Brooker’s vision.

As the Telegraph report, citizens will be ‘scored’ between 350 and 950. Good deeds such as donating blood, charity work or posting positive messages about the country will result in a higher rating.


Conversely, being friends with someone ‘undesirable’ on social media will lead to a lower ‘score’, as will cancelling a reservation, or engaging in any other bad deeds.

Higher ratings will be rewarded with everything from cheaper public transport, to shorter waits at hospitals, while low ranking citizens will have restricted access to come hotels and restaurants, and a slower internet speed.

The terrifying prospect is on course to be tested by 2020.

The news comes a day after Japan revealed a real-life version of the horrifying robot dog in Black Mirror‘s ‘Metalhead’, which itself came just weeks after another season four prophecy about a potentially killer robot pizza delivery van came true, which prompted Black Mirror themselves to respond, “We know how this goes.”
Read more: ‘Black Mirror’ season 5: release date, trailers, cast, writers and everything we know so far

Shortly after that, the relationship button from Black Mirror’s ‘Hang The DJ’ episode then became available to try online.


Speaking ahead of season four’s release, Brooker said called it “quite far out,” noting just how accurate some episodes have been in picturing the future. “Weirdly there was one news story I read the other day that I thought ‘Oh, how does that reflect on an episode we’ve already finished shooting?’” he said. “There was some new discovery made. Hopefully not, but then when writing them I never think any of these are going to come true, and then it seems like some of them do. “

He added:

“For this coming season they’re quite far out there so I don’t envisage that being a problem. Although if that does happen the world is really ****ed… well, the world is really ****ed”, so we’ll see.”


Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/tv/black-mir...OZ2AOEE3wdZ.99