Black Mirror’s Charlie Brooker warns Balatro may trigger widespread productivity crisis

Much like the Simpsons, the series Black Mirror has gained a reputation for being unnervingly prescient. Netflix’s dystopian anthology series has been warning viewers about the impact of technology for years. Its creator, Charlie Brooker, has now alerted people that a certain game could make us all addicted to our smartphones, potentially ushering in humanity’s self-wrought tech apocalypse.

Speaking to Deadline, Brooker stated that the poker-themed game Balatro was responsible for his addiction. He said: “It’s like poker, and it’s possibly the most addictive thing ever created.”

Balatro is currently available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, however, they haven’t reached our phones yet. That said, ports for Android and iOS are planned. In response to the possible move for Balatro, Brooker added: “[At] that point I think humankind’s activity is going to drop about 25%.”

The English producer mentioned that he rewards himself with short sessions of Balatro while writing, alongside playing Ghosts of Tsushima and Dave the Diver.

While Brooker was speaking in jest, Black Mirror has accurately predicted a number of hair-raising technological advancements. From killer robot dogs featured in the episode “Metalhead” to a social media credit system seen in “Nosedive,” it has been eerily accurate. A startlingly dark episode that aired all the way back in 2016 even showed how hackers could use revenge porn to manipulate users.

Brooker pointed out that the release timing for the episode “Joan is Awful” coincided with the historic WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, during which creatives began marching on nationwide picket lines for fair compensation, residual increases, and protections around artificial intelligence.

In the episode, a woman discovers with horror that her daily actions are being transformed into a biographical drama. This drama highlights her worst traits and most regrettable decisions, portrayed onscreen by someone who looks like actress Salma Hayek. However, as the episode progresses, it’s revealed that it isn’t Hayek at all but an AI-generated likeness of her, created by unethical executives at a monolithic streaming platform.

The show became an unlikely figurehead of the strike. Brooker said in response: “If the episode was helping to — in its own comically grotesque way — articulate some of the dangers and some of the problems and fears, then that’s especially satisfying.”

Featured image: Steam / Rory O’Connor TV via YouTube

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