MTV's DISconnected shows the dark side of being tech obsessed

Isaiah, Lisa, Maria and Tom are four teenagers who have very different means of expressing themselves digitally. Though they have never met in person, their lives intersect online. They all watch funnyman Isaiah’s comedic webshow, where he shares everything from his love of chocolate and weightlifting to his battle with bipolar disorder. Meanwhile, Lisa’s chatting up a cutie she met online, and she plans meeting him for the first time over spring break—and sending him raunchy photos. Maria’s a flirt who’s overly dependent on her cell phone to communicate with her boyfriend–to the point where he’s starting to feel smothered. And Tom’s the shy guy at school who writes amazing acoustic music, which has earned him online celebrity status.

The four teens’ lives are completely changed through an interaction online one night. While it’s not along the same comedic lines as MTV’s usual Snooki shenanigans, the movie really draws you into the characters’ online communication in an interesting way.

I’ll admit, I like to share my thoughts on Twitter, Skype, Facebook, Tumblr and my favorite website, Girls’ Life, with my friends. But this movie made me realize every time I type, my words impact someone else on another screen.

DISconnected is part of MTV’s A THIN LINE campaign, which raises awareness of the line between Internet use and abuse through TV shows, PSAs, web and iPhone apps and online content, as well as the creation of an anti-digital discrimination coalition to prevent cyberbullying. Later this fall, MTV will release a “digital bill of rights” that thousands of teens have contributed to, reflecting upon what teens feel they are entitled to when talking on the cell phones and online.

BY DEVIN ALESSIO ON 10/9/2011 7:00:00 AM

POSTED IN entertainment, movies, television, MTV, In the News, social media