A still from Molly vs The Machines
Channel 4
In 2017, Molly Russell was found dead in her bedroom in Harrow, London. The devastating film Molly vs The Machines follows the journey of her father (pictured) to find out what happened, and the inquest ruling that social media contributed to Molly taking her own life as it bombarded her with content related to self-harm.
The film traces her life alongside the rise of social media. Whistle-blowers reveal these companies knew about the risks, yet were unwilling to put in safeguards.
We’ve normalised Big Tech’s access to our inner emotions, even at home. This critique is most potent when hearing Molly’s friends look back, asking: how do we reclaim our bedrooms as private places?
Thomas Lewton
Features Editor, London
Need a listening ear? UK Samaritans: 116123 (samaritans.org); US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 (988lifeline.org). Visit bit.ly/SuicideHelplines for services in other countries
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