The really big science fiction dystopia often shows one high-tech world on the brink. A world devoid of any real humanity, where flesh and soul submit to the machines. But even apart from fictitious visions of the future, there are moments in our very real life that, viewed from a distance, seem quite dystopian.
One of those elements: that young people are growing up in a world where it’s totally normal to brand an optimized version of themselves online. In the hope of earning money as early as possible – the secure job that you keep until you retire no longer exists anyway. Girl Gang by Susanne Regina Meures shows the way of such a young person, namely that of at the beginning of the shooting 14-year-old Leonie.
The documentary is included in the Netflix streaming subscription and is also and especially worthwhile for people who don’t feel like social media or influencers. Things get pretty dark pretty quickly.
For Girl Gang, the influencer Leoobalys and her parents were accompanied for years
Leonie has been uploading videos and photos of herself to Instagram, TikTok and Co. as Leoobalys since she was 12 years old. It quickly turns out that the red-haired girl has something special about her. The number of subscriptions and followers is skyrocketing. The first brand inquiries for advertising placements flutter into the mailbox. A social media manager should ensure even more reach and campaigns. Finally, the Balys family decides to manage the high-yielding daughter themselves – and reaches the milestone of one million followers.
Rise and Shine Cinema
Leoobalys’ fans also have their say in the documentary Girl Gang
Sounds like a great success story, right? Well… As Girl Gang gets older, one thing becomes clear: being successful on social media is a full-time job. That’s OK for an adult who makes a conscious decision to do this for a living. However, Leoobalys is a teenager and at the time of the recordings not only mostly underage, but also of school age.
The Netflix documentary proves we’re actually living in an episode of sci-fi sensation Black Mirror
Nevertheless, she carries the entire burden of the family income on her shoulders. Because both parents only earn money as managers if their daughter earns money. Again and again there are situations in which Leonie asks for a break. A moment when she doesn’t have to shoot an ad placement or reshoot a clip because her mom says she didn’t smile properly enough. But to be human, to be a child is not a space. Leoobalys has to deliver. An inhuman pressurefor whom at some point even her own parents seem to become blind.
Black Mirror is a sci-fi series on Netflix that takes our current tech and online obsessions into spooky realms. Susanne Regina Meures’ documentary shows that the nightmare in which Algorithms determine our entire life, for some of us is already there. Sure: There are harder jobs than being an influencer and Leoobalys herself said in an interview with the BILD newspaper that she didn’t feel lonely or socially isolated.
Watch the trailer for the new season of Black Mirror on Netflix here:
Black Mirror – S06 Trailer (German) HD
But Girl Gang suggests that behind every fresh face on social media being hyped to be the next million-reach influencer sensation, there could be something much sadder: A child who seems to be on the verge of burnout even at the age of 18 and has to control his real emotions not only in front of the Instagram public but also in front of his own parents.
Because the algorithm is never full, it has to be constantly fed with content. And nobody knows when the millions of fans will turn their attention to the next teenager, who – brand-consistently “authentic” – will take them into their own perfect world.
Also stream on Netflix and Co.: The 20 best streaming starts in June
Need more fresh streaming tips? The most exciting series that you can stream in June on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and more can be found here in the monthly preview:
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We have checked the long starting lists of the streaming services and present you the 20 big highlights of the month in the Moviepilot podcast stream trawl. Also included are Netflix’s big sci-fi return Black Mirror after 4 years, Henry Cavill’s final appearance as The Witcher, split personality Tom Holland in The Crowded Room, and the hilariously hilarious Pirates of the Caribbean replacement Our Flag Means Death.
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