Inside The Rage Machine: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
How social media keeps us engaged - and enraged
Year: 2026
Certificate: 12
The internet brought us together, connecting families and friends across the world, but it is also tearing us apart. This disturbing documentary is the story of the algorithms that power social media, with insiders blowing the whistle on how outrage and division has become a business model for big tech. You might believe that social media gives a voice to the voiceless, but evidence is mounting that what it is really doing is feeding us a version of reality designed to keep us engaged - and enraged.
Those who speak openly in this film to Marianna Spring, the BBC's disinformation correspondent, know that they will never work in big tech again, but so concerned are they about the harm and the real-world consequences of the system that they share not only their opinions, but the data to back them up. From the riots following the Southport killings to pandemic-era conspiracy and genocide in Myanmar, this is serious stuff.
It might not make you want to delete all your accounts straight away, but there's a clear need for us to have better awareness of how it all works behind the screens, and this film is a good place to start. As one contributor puts it: 'People don't understand the beast that they are feeding'. (60 minutes)
