Black Mirror Season 4 Episode 2: Arkangel review
: The two faces of parental love
by Summer
Arkangel, a chip technology implanted in children's head allows parents to monitor what their kids see, track their location, and vivify the cause for the children's stress. At first, the technology seems to protect Sarah but it grew to be a problem so Marie--Sarah's mom--stopped using it. As Sarah enters adolescence, Maries feels the need for Arkangel once again, thus changing the mother-daughter relationship dramatically.
The implantable chip is a technology not of distant future. Monitoring every single thing that a child sees may not be possible; however, tracking them by GPS is already commercialized. Therefore, 'black mirror' is raising awareness about the new possibility and its byproducts.
Some say that such a technology is meant to protect children who must be guarded against harm's way by all means necessary. In this regard, I understand Marie's decision. Who can blame a mother's intent to protect her child when there are so many dangers in the world? But "Arkangel" appears to have crossed the line of ethics, thus bringing out the dark side of it all. One must recall and review why overprotectiveness which then gave birth to neologisms like 'helicopter mom' or kangaroo mom' is being viewed with jeer and contempt.
As the eldest daughter of three, some people mistakenly assume that I had not been the subject of overprotection--the only child is usually perceived to be overprotected. To their surprise, I had been under intense care from my parents. Thinking that the world was dangerous for an innocent child like myself, my parents raised me like a princess. The kitchen was off-limits, nor had I been forced to do any other chores. Though I am grateful for their goodwill, I look on the other side of such protection; children are meant to experiment, challenge, and dash into the world, surmounting their fears, not to be monitored and tracked down by their parents like pets.
Marie didn't acknowledge her daughter as an individual who could make decisions on her own. She also believed her daughter Sarah to be stress-free and always enjoy the bright side of what life offered. She failed to see how mom could not stay with their children forever. Therefore, parents must allow children to confront and deal with life's predicament if necessary see the reality with their bare eyes.
I quite enjoyed this episode because it offered an important insight through which we must examine our society. But I was somewhat disappointed by a vague ending in the end; therefore, I give three stars out of five.
The implantable chip is a technology not of distant future. Monitoring every single thing that a child sees may not be possible; however, tracking them by GPS is already commercialized. Therefore, 'black mirror' is raising awareness about the new possibility and its byproducts.
Some say that such a technology is meant to protect children who must be guarded against harm's way by all means necessary. In this regard, I understand Marie's decision. Who can blame a mother's intent to protect her child when there are so many dangers in the world? But "Arkangel" appears to have crossed the line of ethics, thus bringing out the dark side of it all. One must recall and review why overprotectiveness which then gave birth to neologisms like 'helicopter mom' or kangaroo mom' is being viewed with jeer and contempt.
As the eldest daughter of three, some people mistakenly assume that I had not been the subject of overprotection--the only child is usually perceived to be overprotected. To their surprise, I had been under intense care from my parents. Thinking that the world was dangerous for an innocent child like myself, my parents raised me like a princess. The kitchen was off-limits, nor had I been forced to do any other chores. Though I am grateful for their goodwill, I look on the other side of such protection; children are meant to experiment, challenge, and dash into the world, surmounting their fears, not to be monitored and tracked down by their parents like pets.
Marie didn't acknowledge her daughter as an individual who could make decisions on her own. She also believed her daughter Sarah to be stress-free and always enjoy the bright side of what life offered. She failed to see how mom could not stay with their children forever. Therefore, parents must allow children to confront and deal with life's predicament if necessary see the reality with their bare eyes.
I quite enjoyed this episode because it offered an important insight through which we must examine our society. But I was somewhat disappointed by a vague ending in the end; therefore, I give three stars out of five.
Last paragraph with your direct opinion could be a bit more developed, but I like your flow and development and general observation that this type of tech is already here. Well written and balanced. Great blog!
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