Column: Shining a mirror on a scary yet addictive television show

This week, I'll start by asking a very simple question: what's your favourite television show?

Some people like shows which make them laugh, others like documentaries and some even go as far to say they enjoy... wait for it...reality TV.

Everyone’s got their favourite guilty pleasure and a couple of years ago I was lucky enough to stumble across mine while scrolling through the programmes available on Channel 4.

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Since then it’s turned into a worldwide phenomenon, thanks to Netflix, and just before the turn of the year we were treated to another season of this piece of genius.

“What is it?” I hear you ask. Let me present Black Mirror.

If you’ve never watched it, I highly recommend you find yourself a Netflix account which you can exploit for a day or so with no qualms.

Grab yourself a tonne of snacks and drinks and nestle yourself into a cosy corner.

And grab yourself a pillow because, guaranteed, you’ll be watching this through your fingers.

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The reason Black Mirror’s so good – and so scary – is because it presents us with dystopian versions of reality which are so similar to the one we live in today.

The whole programme is centred around the idea of technology influencing society in a negative way and the harsh implications that has on us as humans.

Watching the people in these stories suffer as a result is terrifying but incredibly entertaining at the same time. That’s the guilty pleasure part!

Although, really, there’s nothing all too pleasurable about it. Black Mirror is grim, dark and a terrifying reminder of the bleak direction humanity could head towards.

But what makes it so special is the way it lures you into thinking you’re the exception. Then bam – it hits you that there’s no exceptions at all! Go on, get watching...

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