The cyberpunk dystopia William Gibson foresaw in his award-winning Neuromancer series may not be so far-fetched. For the past month, PBS’s Frontline has aired Digital_Nation, a program which documents the state of the digital world and explores the ways in which technology has radically affected our lives. Topics vary from the training regiments of professional Starcraft players to a U.S. soldier’s virtual reality therapy session.
Perhaps most captivating was the story of Chung Yung-Il, one of the 800,000 South Koreans at risk of the controversial “Internet addiction disorder.” With household broadband penetration of over 97 percent, South Korea can be considered the most wired place in the world — proponents of the disorder may argue the country to be uniquely vulnerable.
While I’m disappointed by the program’s relatively alarmist tone, Digital_Nation certainly provided insight into subjects I’ve always been curious about, like the effect of technology on military operations or romantic relationships. I can’t recommend this documentary enough. What are you waiting for? Watch it already.