Technology has become a fundamental part of life in modern society, directly influencing the way individuals perform daily tasks, attain information, and communicate with others. Additionally, the widespread use of technology has sparked into new fields of research and recently caught the attention of various forms of media that often strive to illustrate the possible effects of a dependent relationship with innovative developments. Advancements in computer technology in relation to nature have led to the study of cyberculture, which affects members of society in both positive and negative ways, as depicted through the downfall of the main character, Liam, in the ​Black Mirror ​episode titled “The Entire History of You” (2011).

            With the recent and steady rise in the advancements of technology, new fields of study have emerged that analyze the shared relationship between humans and technology, such as cyberculture.​ I​ n the section titled “Cyberculture: Technology, Nature, and Culture” in their ​New Media: A Critical Introduction​, Lister et al. introduce their readers to the theories of cyberculture while elaborating upon the implications of human-machine relationships, as well as cybernetic theory. The authors succinctly explain, “The science of cybernetics lies at the artificial heart of cyberculture. It is concerned with control and communication in animal ​and ​machine – in biology ​and t​ echnology. Although popularly associated only with digital technologies, cyberculture actually encompasses the relations between nature and technology, as we have seen” (381). With technology so integral to the functioning of contemporary society, it becomes hard not to imagine the unique ways technology directly affects human beings.

              Popular forms of entertainment media, such as television series or film, often depict how societies, both modern and future ones, can be impacted by technological innovations. Although these effects are not always completely accurate or represent reality, it remains critical for one to be aware of the possible impacts technology can have on his or her physical and mental health.The effects of such usage may go unnoticed by the user. Many television series, specifically Black Mirror, ​call attention to the imminent impact of future technologies on human beings. Black Mirror ​is a science fiction series streamed through Netflix that was created in 2011 by Charlie Brooker. The anthology series consists of five seasons with only several episodes in each. While each episode involves a completely different cast and storyline, they all center upon the widespread use of an innovative and new technology that manipulates the population of future societies in unique ways. In this enthralling and unsettling series, each director successfully depicts the distinct ways in which societies in the not too distant future are directly affected by advancements in technology, whether positively or negatively.

            “The Entire History of You'' is the third episode in the first season of ​Black Mirror directed by Brian Welsh that centers upon the technology of the implant called the “grain,” which is inserted beneath the skin and behind the ear of its user. The episode is set in a near-future dystopian society and depicts the downfall of the protagonist, Liam, as he begins to question Ffion’s loyalty and fidelity in their marriage. The grains are small chips that descend below one’s skin, which record everything the individual has ever seen and heard, allowing them to instantly replay any memory they hold at the click of a button. Once clicked, the grain produces a film over the host’s eyes that plays the selected memory and can project it into the air in front of them, reflecting various elements of cyberpunk fiction. In regards to this subgenre of science fiction, ​Lister et al. explains, “However, cyberpunk fiction focuses less on shiny metal cyborgs like the Terminator, or on the oily iron and muscle cyborgs known to Marx, than on the technology of the implant...Technology ceases to be big, but becomes instead invasive, sticky. Like the contact lens, it sinks quickly beneath the horizon of our attention as soon as it descends below the skin” (385). Cyberpunk is central to the plot of “The Entire History of You'' where Welsh avoids focusing on elaborate cyborgs. Rather, he conceived the idea of the invasive grain implant that literally descends below one’s skin and acts as a form of contact lenses, going unnoticed by others. ​The audience can assume that nearly everyone in this society has an implant regardless of age, emphasized through the construction of the scene where Liam and Ffion choose to watch their child’s grain memories after they spent the night out.

           The viewer first witnesses Liam’s neurotic behaviors towards the grain after he overanalyzes a comment made towards him at a job appraisal as a lawyer and struggles to figure out the exact reason why he made the wrong impression. His obsession with the capabilities of the implant then extends into his relationship with his wife, Ffion, who he suspects has feelings for one of her old friends, Jonas. After attending a dinner party where all three individuals were present, Liam interrogates Ffion about her apparent interest in Jonas that she exhibited at the dinner table. She then confesses that they used to date, further sparking his dependency on the grain. In order to justify his suspicions about his marriage, Liam resorts to both his and Ffion’s implant to seek out the truth about whether or not she is having an affair.

          As Liam becomes more paranoid and insecure about Ffion’s faithfulness in their marriage, he consumes a large amount of alcohol and drunkenly drives to Jonas’ house where he assaults and forces Jonas to delete his memories of Ffion from his grain. After escaping Jonas’ house without being arrested, Liam crashes his car into a tree, having no recollection of what he had done. As he becomes sober, Liam once again turns to his grain for answers, which reveals clips of him physically abusing Jonas. When Liam returns home, he further interrogates Ffion about a memory he saw of her and Jonas in bed together. After forcing her to reveal the memory from her point of view, Liam finds out that Jonas may actually be the biological father of his son.Ultimately, the protagonist decides to take out his grain with a razor, physically removing himself from the technology that has led to his downfall.

          Unstable and unhealthy relationships, especially between humans and devices, are a central theme throughout this episode, drawing the audience’s attention to a possible future reality associated with advancements in technology. The director of “The Entire History of You” is hyper focused on exploring the intimate and dependent relationship Liam forms with his grain while simultaneously demonstrating how technology has ruined his life. While the protagonist depends upon the grain to gain insight to his memories, the grain also depends upon Liam’s experiences in order to create an easily accessible archive of his past realities. As the episode progresses, the audience witnesses how the implant that directly alters one’s ability to access and evaluate the past transforms the host into a cyborg.

           In her ​A Cyborg Manifesto, ​Donna Haraway introduces her readers to this imaginary concept of the cyborg, a creature that is a combination of both machine and organism, as well as an image of imagination and material reality. She succinctly states, “A cyborg is a cybernetic organism, a hybrid of machine and organism, a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction” (65). Additionally, Haraway’s manifesto attempts to make sense of society’s immediate surroundings and their intimate relationship with technology. As a result of the cyborg eliminating aspects of dualism within society, this creature transgresses and blurs different boundaries while creating new meanings in relation to technology. Liam’s character, as well as every individual who has a grain, can be considered a cybernetic organism that blurs the line between human and machine, where the implanted technology results in an individual with enhanced capabilities.

           The grain implant’s purpose in recording every detail of life and simulating past experiences serves as a form of virtual reality (VR) for its users. Its advanced ability to immerse its host into an alternate state of awareness and consciousness certainly reflects elements of VR that exist today. In Chapter 31 of ​Media and Cultural Studies ​titled “Postmodern Virtualities,” Mark Poster elaborates upon the impact computer technologies, especially VR, have had on society and one’s identity formation. He states, “Virtual reality takes the imaginary of the word and the imaginary of the film or video image one step farther by placing the individual ‘inside’ alternative worlds. By directly tinkering with reality, a simulational practice is set in place which alters forever the conditions under which the identity of the self is formed” (p. 539). The immersive aspect of this technology heightens the user’s senses and awareness that results in a false reality where one is able to create his or her own identity in accordance with an alternative environment.

          In general, the VR headset or goggles that cover one’s eyes serve as a gateway to the fantasy world created by technology. However, in the case of the episode, the equipment that is typically utilized in VR is replaced with the lens that covers Liam’s eyes when he presses the button for his grain. Liam’s past realities become virtual with the assistance of his implant, immersing him within an alternative world where his memories are readily accessible and reflect actuality. By simply reliving his memories through the grain, Liam is able to be present in two places at once. The clips of his past that he chooses to rewatch represent an abstract version of his reality, where the technology relies on real life experiences and then provides its host body with a virtual version of it. In terms of his identity formation relative to his grain, Liam becomes an extremely self-divided individual as he grows more dependent upon the implant for answers to his problems and to justify his irrational behaviors. His character is split between an individual who wishes to live a happy lifestyle where he is free from his obsession with the grain versus one who overthinks every detail and no longer trusts anything anyone says. As he becomes more insecure as a result of the unsettling events occurring in his life, Liam begins to identify ​with​ the grain as he no longer recognizes who he is becoming.

         One of the most unique aspects of the grain is the ability for individuals to watch and experience other people’s memories from their point of view, which is depicted several times throughout the episode. As Ann Lasko-Harvill explains in her “Identity and Mask in Virtual Reality,” “While much energy goes into making the virtual reality world more like physical reality, there are many kinds of interactions possible ​only i​ n virtual reality. In virtual reality we can, with disconcerting ease, exchange eyes with another person and see ourselves and the world from their vantage point” (227). This quote is directly applicable to Welsh’s episode as everyone who has a grain is able to simultaneously immerse themselves in another person’s memories, eliminating any sense of privacy enjoyed in the past. Without the presence of this form of VR in this society, an individual would only have access to his or her memories in their own mind. For instance, when Liam coerces Ffion to show him specific memories from her grain relative to Jonas and the conception of their child, they are “exchanging eyes” in order to justify a claim. Another scene illustrating how the implant allows its users to share vantage points occurs during the airport scene where Liam must replay the security guard his memories from recent weeks to ensure he does not pose a threat to public safety. While this moment demonstrates one positive way the technology benefits society by preventing potential crime, it also forces the viewer to question what happens to an individual if he or she chooses not to have an implant.

           Similar to many other technologies that enhance one’s capabilities and experiences, VR usage also holds many mental and physical implications. In recent years, the medical world has

often turned to VR as a form of therapy for patients with a variety of different health complications. In his journal article titled “Virtual-Reality Therapy,” Hunter G. Hoffman expands upon the effectiveness of using VR as a form of therapy for patients experiencing severe levels of pain, specifically burn victims. Hoffman states, “This cardinal virtue of virtual reality - the ability to give users the sense that they are ‘somewhere else’ - can be of great value in a medical setting. Researchers are finding that some of the best applications of the software focus on therapy rather than entertainment. In essence, virtual reality can ease pain, both physical and psychological” (60). Through the scientific evidence he provides his readers within his article, it becomes clear that VR has many benefits in the medical field and can positively impact individuals who are in pain or struggling with phobias.

            While it is important to be aware of the beneficial aspects of VR usage, users must also evaluate how it can prove detrimental to their health. Welsh does an excellent job in portraying the negative side effects associated with VR in his episode, demonstrating the exact ways Liam experiences mental and physical pain as a direct result of his constant engagement with his implant. As explained previously, this alternate world where Liam’s past realities are portrayed directly in front of him ultimately causes him an immense amount of psychological distress as he persistently attempts to reveal the truth about his marriage in hostile ways. While his fixation on trying to prove others wrong in order to justify his claims does result in the revelation of the truth, Liam’s obsession with the capabilities of his grain remains the source of his imminent downfall. In terms of the physical, Liam causes himself pain when he uses a razor blade to distance himself from the implant by forcefully removing it from his head. This impulse decision is a result of his strong desire to separate himself from the technology that constantly exposed him to the memories of his once happy life that has now been destroyed. Overall, it is noteworthy how this form of virtual reality that Welsh illustrates proves detrimental to a user’s overall health, in contrast to the possible benefits of its use in medicine.

          The pessimistic tone surrounding the science fiction plot of “The Entire History of You” is quite typical for a ​Black Mirror ​episode focused on the widespread presence of computer technologies. Specifically, it derives from Liam’s constant scrutiny of not only his past, but the past of his wife, through the manipulation of the grain device. Since Ffion was actually having an affair with Jonas, the viewer may begin to question whether or not Liam’s dramatic actions are warranted since his suspicions were accurate. However, it becomes more important for one to focus on the impacts that this innovative, memory-enhancing technology has on its users.

           Welsh’s episode serves as a social commentary on society today about how individuals constantly share their memories and details of their personal life online through various forms of media. Many users of social networking sites view this form of media as an opportunity to post specific life moments in order to always have that memory readily accessible, as well as to share these experiences with followers and friends by immersing them within someone else’s past. In Chapter 5 of W.J.T. Mitchell and Mark B.N. Hansen’s ​Critical Terms for Media Studies t​ itled “Memory,” Bernard Stiegler expands upon the concept of the exteriorization of memory in the current age where technical memory aids are extremely common within society, such as smartphones. Stiegler states:

             It is because our memories are finite that we require artificial memory aids, and the ensuing                    ecology of ‘natural’ and artificial memory, of anamnesis and hypomnesis, has, since its initial                    theorization by Plato, characterized the differing function and valuation of memory across our                  history...Put more simply, reliance on artificial memory aids makes us vulnerable to                                  manipulation if the technologies of memory are controlled by industries intent on exploiting our              desire for their gain; yet on the other hand, these same memory aids hold the promise of                        extending our capacity to produce meaning and to form communities open to the future. (65-                66)

Although the grain implant produces real memories rather than artificial, this specific technical memory aid creates reliance issues as it manipulates an individual’s initial perception of their past. As Liam demonstrates, the grain allows the user to endlessly reflect and analyze specific moments of their past, which alters the interpretation of these experiences. In terms of producing meaning and forming communities, it is not the physical device that creates meaning in the user’s life. Instead, it is what one chooses to do with the implant and how they deal with their past that produces certain meanings. Liam clearly demonstrates how his obsession with his previous memories turned his life upside down, completely separating him from any sense of community that he may have experienced.

           Black Mirror​ forces its viewers to reflect on their own use of technology and evaluate how it has influenced their lives, thought processes, and decision making capabilities. Ultimately, “The Entire History of You” depicts the downfall of the protagonist as he becomes highly dependent upon a technological innovation as a means of searching for the answers to his suspicions. ​Throughout this unsettling episode, Welsh scrutinizes the ability of technology to record many aspects of people’s lives that are sometimes better to forget, shedding light on the fallibility of human beings when given access to technological devices that lead to enhanced versions of one’s self.

​

Works Cited
Durham, Meenakshi Gigi., and Douglas Kellner. ​Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks.​

Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
Haraway, Donna Jeanne. ​A Cyborg Manifesto​. 1985.
Hoffman, Hunter G. “Virtual-Reality Therapy.” ​Scientific American,​ vol. 291, no. 2, 2004, pp.

58–65. ​JSTOR​, www.jstor.org/stable/26060647. Accessed 18 Dec. 2020.

https://login.libproxy.newschool.edu/login?qurl=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26060647

Lasko-Harvill, Ann. “Identity and Mask in Virtual Reality.” ​Discourse,​ vol. 14, no. 2, 1992, pp. 222–234. ​JSTOR​, www.jstor.org/stable/41389227. Accessed 17 Dec. 2020. https://login.libproxy.newschool.edu/login?qurl=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41389227

Lister, Martin, et al. ​New Media: a Critical Introduction​. Routledge, 2010.
Mitchell, W. J. T., and Mark B. N. Hansen. ​Critical Terms for Media Studies​. The University of

Chicago Press, 2010.
“The Entire History of You.” Welsh, Brian, Director. ​Black Mirror,​ Season 1, Episode 3, 18

Dec. 2011.