Bloomberg Businessweek
Looking Back and Learning from the Y2K Scare
Jan 10, 2024
Documentary Filmmakers Brian Becker and Marley McDonald discuss their HBO documentary Time Bomb Y2K, exploring the dangers and fears of the Y2K bug and drawing parallels to the current pandemic. They also discuss the attention on Osage County, Oklahoma due to the film adaptation of Killers of a Flower Moon, and reflect on the changing global landscape, the shifts in technology since the Y2K scare, and our current concerns about reliance on technology.
15:17
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Quick takeaways
- The HBO documentary Time Bomb Y2K highlights the lasting impact of the Y2K phenomenon and draws parallels between it and the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need to address existential threats and the interconnectedness of society.
- Y2K exposed society's increasing dependency on technology, raising concerns about mental health, social media, and government control, prompting reflection on whether the initial optimism about technology has turned into something more worrisome.
Deep dives
The Legacy of Y2K
The HBO documentary Time Bomb Y2K examines the Y2K phenomenon and its lasting impact. The filmmakers, Brian Becker and Marley McDonald, were inspired to make the documentary after seeing parallels between the Y2K countdown and the COVID-19 pandemic. They delved into extensive research and found that Y2K was a very real problem that required significant effort to solve. The film presents a unique structure, relying solely on archival footage to create a time capsule effect and provide a sense of the moment's intensity. The filmmakers also emphasize how Y2K serves as a metaphor for addressing existential threats and the interconnectedness of society.
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