Bo Burnham’s ‘Inside’ tells dangerous truths about the internet

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Conner Arrington

Bo Burnham’s “Inside” is a musical comedy special on Netflix that details Burnham’s life in isolation during the pandemic.

Fay Durham, Opinion & Editorials Editor

Bo Burnham’s “Inside,” released on Netflix May 30, isn’t just any special — it is an unforgettable masterpiece.

The special portrays many painful yet real emotions that Burnham and millions of other people have experienced due to the quarantine and mass isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Inside” shows Burnham struggling with his own self-isolation and mental disorders.

“Welcome to the Internet” is a song that transparently advertises the internet and its many possibilities. One theme in this song is how the internet has permanently changed the world we live in.

We use the internet to receive news and information quicker than ever before. The internet has its benefits but it also provides us with many problems.

Computer science major, Holt Brewster, said “I struggled with an addiction to the internet and it stunted my social skills a decent amount.”

Everything about this song is beautifully hypnotic, from the music to the lyrical flow. The song is an intense display of many aspects of the internet.

Brewster said “It’s (a song) I’ve actually gone back and listened to a few times.”

In the lyrics of “Welcome to the Internet,” Burnham said, “Here’s a tip for straining pasta. Here’s a nine-year-old who died. We got movies, and doctors, and fantasy sports.”

Ethan Gist, computer science major, said “Before the internet people would spend hours (in libraries) finding information you can get in seconds now.”

The internet gives its users unlimited possibilities, which can make it a very dangerous place.

Gist said “People can lose sight of their productivity just from being on social media so much. It’s a big time consumer.”

Burnham says in the song “Show us pictures of your children. Tell us every thought you think.”

Burnham is telling listeners how people carelessly overshare their lives online. However, no one’s privacy is ever protected online — even the users who don’t share their lives on social media at all.

People believe because they lack a profile picture or their name isn’t on the account, that they are anonymous. That is not the case. Your digital data is collected and sold to any company willing to pay enough.

“All of the big companies track your information online, these companies know everything and anything about you,” Brewster said.

The internet might not be entirely good, but Bo Burnham’s “Inside” is incredible. This special is a work of art and a must-watch on Netflix.