Watch 15 Minutes of Shame

As a documentary about the damaging effects of public shaming in the age of social media, 15 Minutes of Shame is a thought-provoking and sometimes uncomfortable exploration of what it means to be publicly exposed and ostracized online. Directed by Max Joseph (one half of the duo behind Catfish), the film puts a human face on the phenomenon of social media shaming, interviewing both victims and perpetrators of online witch hunts and examining the psychological and social dynamics that drive this increasingly common form of bullying.

At the center of the film is Monica Lewinsky, who famously became a target of online hate and vitriol in the late 90s when news broke of her affair with President Bill Clinton. Lewinsky has since become an activist, writer, and public speaker, advocating for compassion and empathy in the digital age. Alongside journalist Jon Ronson, who wrote a book on the topic, Lewinsky provides context and insight into the ways in which social media shaming represents a new, more insidious form of public shaming that can be devastating for its targets.

Through interviews with psychology experts, online trolls, and those who have been shamed online, 15 Minutes of Shame paints a complex portrait of a troubling cultural phenomenon. The film highlights the role that social media plays in spreading outrage and mobilizing online mobs, but it also emphasizes the humanity of those caught up in the frenzy of social media shaming. Viewers are likely to come away from the film with a sense of unease about the ways in which we use social media to judge, mock, and destroy the lives of others, but also with a glimmer of hope that empathy and understanding can help us break this vicious cycle of public scorn and condemnation.

The film's format is fairly conventional, with talking-head interviews intercut with archival footage, animations, and social media posts. What sets it apart from other documentaries on social media and technology, however, is its emphasis on the emotional and psychological toll that social media shaming can take on its targets. Lewinsky shares her own experiences of being vilified by the media and the public, and she speaks candidly about the lasting trauma that this experience has caused. Other interviewees also describe the anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems that can arise from being subjected to public humiliation and abuse online.

Despite its occasionally heavy-handed tone and predictable structure, 15 Minutes of Shame is a timely and important contribution to the ongoing conversation about online harassment, cancel culture, and the role of social media in shaping our public discourse. While the film does not offer easy solutions or pat answers to these complex issues, it does provide a nuanced and compassionate analysis of the ways in which social media has changed the landscape of public shaming and the impact that this can have on our collective psyches.

Ultimately, 15 Minutes of Shame is a sobering reminder of the power and potential dangers of these new technologies, and a call to action for all of us to be more mindful and compassionate in our online interactions. It is a film that will likely leave viewers with more questions than answers about this complex and thorny topic, but that is perhaps the point - to encourage us to keep asking the right questions and to keep striving for a kinder, more compassionate online culture.

15 Minutes of Shame is a 2021 documentary. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7.