Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE [SXSW Film - Austin Texas]

The impact of the internet, social media and beyond with AI is the focus of the new documentary "Your Attention Please" [Documentary Spotlight] which addresses the progression of the changing of psychology online but within a big tech environment, legal approach and advocacy. Director Sara Robin focuses on different people but her establishment with Kristin, an advocate mother who lost her son 5 years ago to suicide because he was bullied on Yolo really sets the viewpoint because it is very visceral in both how she is able to describe its impact but she also doesn't overplay it. You believe her intent no matter what and it makes the reverse (including one scene during a House Committee event where Mark Zuckerberg supposedly apologizes to the victims that were affected by cyberbullying on his platform) more transparent than even it was on the day. The film also follows Trisha who created ReThink and goes out and speaks on trying to change the discussion since she herself was bullied when she was young. But against big tech and their money, especially since they have buddied up with the current administration, the focus sometimes for the legislation can go by the wayside, as the doc shows. People can and do try to do what they can on a grassroots level but that can be difficult because that deals with a small community and not a bigger, oversaturated problem and footprint. Robin does show how Europe, specifically Scandinavia, seems to be doing a little better but the thinking there though similar is different, though perhaps they have the same problems on a different scale...but their society functions in a different way than ours. There is also more a proliferation which has gained a little bit of momentum in "offline clubs" where people check in their phones and actually talk or do puzzles. This is a step in the right direction but again a small step. There is also a example when a Massachusetts school implemented the checking in of cell phones during school. Many have followed suit and that shows possibility in a controlled environment.

And with the advent of AI things now are getting more complicated with the algorithms moving even faster and AI companions jumping up so at times it is hard to know if what is being displayed is real. Right now, a trained eye can know what is real and what is not but in the next few years that might change. The film's participants talks about changing the behavior but kids will be kids in many ways. The safeguards need to come from the top and that is the issue since the almighty currency is running most of decisions despite their PR voice to the otherwise. The most hopeful elements were seeing a couple kids in the closing credits realizing that they don't need phones. But that said, it is such a juggernaut it is hard to change at this point. I remember the time before all of this and before cable was in play per se. You could play Atari and back in 1982 there were only 10 channels (and they still went off the air at a certain time). Granted I wanted to watch MTV music videos when they launched but I spent a lot of time playing outside as well. It is a brand new world for today's youth and while bullying was always a thing at schools, it wouldn't go away even if there were no phones or social media. It is part of human behavior, however problematic. Does social media make it worse? In many ways, yes but the mechanisms of everything changes. The isolation before the net and cell phones now seems deafening. The isolation now is more psychological when it really comes down to it. "Your Attention Please" definitely examines a quagmire which is not getting easier but definitely poses the right questions with some ideas for solutions but the speed, ignorance and greed sometimes of the bigger world alters the flow. B+

By Tim Wassberg