Johannesburg – Imagine Gugu Lourie, the well-known South African columnist specializing in business, technology, and policy, unexpectedly finding himself in a Black Mirror episode, where his very existence hinges on a monthly subscription.
This notion isn’t as far-fetched as it may appear.
The dystopian anthology Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker, has consistently mirrored the unsettling realities of our tech-centric world.
In its seventh season, the series critiques , a trend that is increasingly permeating our daily experiences.
For someone like Gugu, who scrutinizes the convergence of commerce and the digital landscape, this scenario feels alarmingly pertinent.
From streaming services to AI-powered applications, subscriptions have become foundational to contemporary capitalism.
But what happens when survival itself is concealed behind a paywall?
The latest episode of Netflix’s Black Mirror, titled “Common People,” explores this nightmare through Amanda, a woman whose consciousness is sustained by a medical tech firm – at a cost.
As her subscription fees rise, desperation envelops her and her husband, exposing the dehumanizing aspects of the “everything-as-a-service” model.
Could Gugu, a voice on Africa’s technological growth, find himself in a similarly dystopian predicament?
Imagine his valuable insights becoming available only through exorbitant paywalls, with his autonomy restricted by corporate algorithms.
It’s a chilling concept – yet one that Black Mirror urges us to contemplate.
South Africa, with its rising fintech and subscription-based economy, is not immune to these truths.
As businesses advocate for rental models over ownership—be it for vehicles or cloud storage—the risk of exploitation grows.
Gugu’s writings often highlight the unequal power dynamics in tech; what if the next stage involves direct commodification of people?
While the latest season of Black Mirror may not offer groundbreaking revelations, its message is urgent: we must be vigilant against allowing convenience to erode our freedoms.
One thing is certain: in a world where even life demands a subscription, we’re all just a missed payment away from disaster.
In Black Mirror‘s “Common People” (Season 7), Rivermind turns Amanda into a human advertising tool as part of its expanding subscription model.
While Black Mirror amplifies these concerns, the core anxiety – technology turning individuals into revenue sources – is already a reality (e.g., data mining, microtransactions).
Rivermind is simply the extreme end of this trend.
*This article was originally published in our sister publication techfinancials.co.za
