So, I’ll just say I don’t know Matthew Berdyck from a hole in a wall. I’m just evaluating Social Media Monster as a documentary. Ultimately, the participants and filmmakers state that this film exists simply to get their story out. Berdyck does not appear to give his side of the story, and I’m pretty sure he will have issues regarding his portrayal.
Social Media Monster is essentially the story of a small town’s battle against a Goliath of a media troll. The film opens with the iHOP incident by interviewing those involved in the incident and then cutting them against Berdyck’s account, which he posted on his Facebook or YouTube channels. The subjects do their best to give their personal accounts rather than try to explain Berdyck’s motives (that’s for us to decide).
The film then moves from the incident to the slowly growing attack against the citizens of St. Joseph. Many wondered how Berdyck was making a living as the town’s troll until they found out he was being funded by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Alex Hwang, who may have been investing in Berdyck’s next socially-relevant film.
“…attention is the meal that fuels the trolls.”
The psychology of Berdyck doesn’t happen until later in the documentary when witnesses and experts attempt to understand what’s going on inside his head. Through clips of Berdyck’s numerous YouTube rants, Berdyck often confesses that he needs the attention he gets from trolling. Not only by going after his next target, but his rants show that he needs sympathy from those who stand beside him. In other words, attention is the meal that fuels the trolls. They want the attention so badly that they’ll misrepresent what you say and even make up the things you say to get it.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of stories of internet trolls. What makes Social Media Monster stand out from all those other stories is that the citizens of St. Josephs were all united in defending one another against Berdyck’s claims. So much so that Berdyck appears as a tiny gnat that no one can effectively swat. It appears the intent of this doc is to diminish the power and influence of Berdyck and his tactics.
If you’ve ever been attacked on the internet for an extended period of time, Social Media Monster is here to say you’re not the only one. Though the law tends to protect trolls from their persistent behavior, you’ll learn that the patterns are the same, and ultimately, their true motivations will be exposed.
For screening information, visit the Social Media Monster official website.
"…the citizens of St. Josephs were all united in defending one another..."
