8 Tech Lies You Probably Believe Thanks To TV Shows

April 24, 2024, 7 p.m.

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8 Tech Lies You Probably Believe Thanks To TV Shows

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Summary Technology myths in TV shows misinform viewers and show writers' lack of research on real-world tech capabilities.

Sci-fi shows get a pass on questionable tech accuracy due to their futuristic settings, but still perpetuate misconceptions.

Beware of TV's portrayal of hacking, viral social media posts, 3D printing, and phone tracking as quicker and easier than reality.

Although most shows try their best to be as accurate as possible, thanks to some TV shows, audiences still believe several lies about technology. The power of technology, whether that be the average cell phone, social media, or large-scale machines, is unstoppable in the real world and on the screen. There are plenty of TV shows about tech companies, but even those are guilty of presenting audiences with incorrect facts every now and then.

Although the best sci-fi TV shows also have questionable approaches to technology, this is usually allowable because of their futuristic and dystopian universes, where the laws of technology don't apply. Mistakes in TV shows happen, but in a world where technology is so essential to everyone's day-to-day lives, it's disappointing when these lies are spread even further. These common misconceptions misinform audiences but also prove that writers are failing in their research.

Relevant TV Shows Air Date Supernatural 2005–2020 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 2013–2021 iCarly 2007–2012, 2021–2023 Broadchurch 2013–2017 CSI: NY 2004–2013 30 Rock 2006–2013 Community 2009–2015 NCIS 2003– Black Mirror 2011– Elementary 2012–2019

8 The Ins And Outs Of Flight Travel

Escaping A Plane Isn't As Simple As It Seems

Supernatural Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural is a fantasy/drama series that premiered in 2005. The series follows the adventures of Dean and Sam Winchester - two men wronged by supernatural beings as children who now spend their days investigating and hunting demons, ghosts, and monsters across the United States. Cast Jensen Ackles , Misha Collins , Jim Beaver , Jared Padalecki , Katie Cassidy , Lauren Cohan , Mark A. Sheppard , Mark Pellegrino , Alexander Calvert Release Date September 13, 2005 Seasons 15

In many TV shows, some characters try to make a daring escape from a plane through its emergency exit. This usually results in a dramatic sequence or fight scene, with a character trying to either throw someone out of the door to a gruesome death or avoid being the one thrown. However, in reality, an aircraft's door cannot be opened mid-flight. If someone opens the exit door of an airplane, it will kill everyone instantly, hence the safety protocols that are put in place.

Airplanes use massive electronic locks for these doors, and because of the difference in air pressure inside and outside of the vessel, they cannot be opened by hand, especially by only one person.

One example of this happens in the Supernatural season 1 episode "Phantom Traveler." A nervous flyer, George (Paul Jarrett), heads for the emergency exit and manages to open it, but it blows off and hits the tail of the plane. However, this isn't actually possible. Airplanes use massive electronic locks for these doors, and because of the difference in air pressure inside and outside of the vessel, they cannot be opened by hand, especially by only one person.

7 How Something Goes "Viral"

Viral Social Media Posts Don't Become Popular In A Split Second

Audiences know that social media is a powerful tool, but the logistics behind a post going viral aren't as simple as they appear. For an app like TikTok, which has over 1.7 billion users worldwide, the definition of what is "viral" is not realistic in comparison to how TV shows demonstrate this. For example, the TikTok account @khaby.lame has over 161 million followers and is the most followed account on the platform. However, those 161 million followers are only 9.4% of the entire population. These accounts require time and dedication to build up and didn't become sensations overnight.

Although Gina does make a successful career in social media later in the show, it seems extremely unlikely that her broadcast got so much traction in such a short amount of time that her followers saved the Nine-Nine in less than an hour.

In Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) saves the precinct by live-streaming Captain Holt's (Andre Braugher) emotional speech to the squad. Although Gina does make a successful career in social media later in the show, it seems extremely unlikely that her broadcast got so much traction in such a short amount of time that her followers saved the Nine-Nine in less than an hour. iCarly is another example of the exaggeration of viral social media posts, and in the pilot, Carly's (Miranda Cosgrove) first webcast somehow gets over 37,000 followers despite having no online presence beforehand.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Where to Watch *Availability in US stream rent buy Not available Not available Not available From the creative minds of Dan Goor and Michael Schur comes Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a police comedy series set in the NYPD's fictional 99th precinct. Headed by the comedically serious Captain Raymond Holt and protagonist Jake Peralta, the detectives of the 99 deal with burglaries, drug deals, and oddities in New York City, occasionally steering into real-world issues surrounding police perception and social concerns in the 2010s and earlier. Each detective has their own unique personality that makes them stand out, creating endearing dynamics that helped the show thrive for eight seasons. Cast Stephanie Beatriz , Melissa Fumero , Andy Samberg , Andre Braugher , Joel McKinnon Miller , Dirk Blocker , Terry Crews , Chelsea Peretti , Joe Lo Truglio Release Date September 17, 2013 Seasons 8

iCarly Where to Watch *Availability in US stream rent buy Not available Not available Not available The Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly follows teenage internet streamer, Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), her older brother Spencer Shay (Jerry Trainor), and her two best friends Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) and Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress), who help her host her successful web show. After its 2007-2012 run, Paramount+ revived the series with most of its original cast all grown up and dealing with the challenges of adulthood. Cast Laci Mosley , Jerry Trainor , Miranda Cosgrove , Jaidyn Triplett , Nathan Kress Release Date June 17, 2021 Seasons 2

6 Tracking Someone's Location Is That Easy

Using A Phone To Follow A Person Isn't Instant

Broadchurch Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Created by Chris Chibnall, Broadchurch is set in the fictional Dorset town of the same name and follows Ellie Miller and Alec Hardy, two police detectives who are tasked with solving the death of an 11-year-old boy killed under mysterious circumstances. The first and second seasons of the show focus on the case and its fallout in the community, with the third season focusing on a new case. Olivia Coleman and David Tennant star as Ellie and Alec. Cast David Tennant , Olivia Colman , Jodie Whittaker Release Date March 4, 2013 Seasons 3

With the power of apps like Find My Friends and Life360, tracking someone's location is easier than ever before. However, it's not as straightforward as it appears on TV. To track someone's location using their cell phone, they need to accept a request. Even if a character can trace someone, their location cannot be exactly pinpointed, as some TV shows will have audiences believe. This concept is often seen in crime procedural TV shows.

GPS services are generally accurate, but considering they live in the countryside, surrounded by open fields, tracking Joe shouldn't have been that easy.

For example, in Broadchurch, Joe Miller (Matthew Gravelle) decides to turn back on Danny's (Oskar McNamara) phone location services so that Alec (David Tennant) can find him. Alec is led to Ellie's (Olivia Colman) home, where he finds Joe in their garden shed. However, he also finds their son Tom (Adam Wilson) in the living room. GPS services are generally accurate, but considering they live in the countryside, surrounded by open fields, tracking Joe shouldn't have been that easy. Especially as Tom was just a few feet away, Alec may have easily mistaken the identity of the killer.

5 Zoom And Enhance

Clearing Up Images To See Things Isn't Straightforward

Whether it's CCTV footage or an old home movie, enhancing digital images to make them clearer is complicated. Photo enhancement is dependent on the number of pixels an image has, and there is no such thing as a magic button that amazingly fixes everything. Shows like CSI: NY are especially guilty of this. In one episode, Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) uses grainy video footage to see a reflection in a victim's eye, which is impossible. Even if it could be done, in the footage, the victim isn't even facing the right way.

This concept is also parodied in TV shows, especially comedies and sitcoms.

This concept is also parodied in TV shows, especially comedies and sitcoms. A great example of this is in 30 Rock when Jack (Alec Baldwin) is trying to figure out what birthday gift he received as a child from a home movie. However, the technician who helps him informs Jack that he cannot just "zoom in and enhance" and that he's better off getting in contact with whoever gave him the gift. This happens in shows like The Big Bang Theory and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, poking fun at people who think image enhancement is done at the touch of a button.

CSI: NY Where to Watch *Availability in US stream rent buy Not available Not available Not available

30 Rock Where to Watch *Availability in US stream rent buy Not available Not available Not available Tina Fey's absurdist comedy series follows Liz Lemon, the head writer of a fictional live sketch comedy show operating out of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which is where the show derives its name. Loosely based on Fey's experiences as a writer on Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock ran for seven seasons with a supporting cast that included Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer.

4 Losing Signal Is No Longer An Excuse

Technology Allows Ways Around The Loss Of Phone Signal For Emergencies

Community Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Created by Dan Harmon, Community is a comedy series that follows a study group at an unorthodox community college where zany antics occur daily. When disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger is forced to enroll in a local college to get a degree and reinstate himself, he gets roped in with fellow students from different backgrounds, races, religions, and ages and reluctantly forms a study group. Together, these lovable misfits will navigate their school lives in some nigh unbelievable situations as they all try to figure out where their futures lie. Cast Ken Jeong , Chevy Chase , Joel McHale , Jim Rash , Gillian Jacobs , Alison Brie , Yvette Nicole Brown , Donald Glover , Danny Pudi Release Date September 17, 2009 Seasons 6

TV shows often have characters suddenly lose cell signal in the lead-up to a very dramatic moment. This raises the stakes and makes the characters and audiences nervous as they are forced to wait for the impending danger to get to them. However, in the real world, phone service very rarely goes down, and even if it does, there are ways around it. In recent years especially, every cell phone has the ability to make calls through a wifi connection, so there's no excuse for TV show writers to keep including this obstacle for their characters.

The landline phones still work, but the cell towers are down, and there is no power in New York.

In the Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode "Lights Out," Amy (Melissa Fumero) goes into labor during a city-wide blackout. The landline phones still work, but the cell towers are down, and there is no power in New York. In theory, neither should work without any electricity, although this is likely just a small plot hole in a TV show more than anything else. In Community, the study group gets stuck in a space simulator, which is essentially just a metal RV. But they can't call for help because they have no signal, which doesn't make sense considering they're in a populated area.

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3 The Speed Of Hacking

More Hands On Deck Doesn't Equal Quicker Hacking

NCIS Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Special Agent Alden Parker, a quirky former FBI agent who solves his cases with calm professionalism and sharp, sarcastic charm, leads the NCIS team, which includes NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate with a knack for computers who has now graduated to senior field agent; the charismatic, unpredictable and resilient NCIS Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres, who has spent most of his career on solo undercover assignments; and sharp, athletic and tough NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight, a formidable REACT agent who specializes in hostage negotiations and high-risk operations. The naïve Jimmy Palmer is assisting the team, who graduated from assistant to fully licensed medical examiner and now runs the morgue; and forensic scientist Kasie Hines, Ducky’s former graduate assistant. Overseeing operations is NCIS Director Leon Vance, an intelligent, highly trained agent who can always be counted on to shake up the status quo. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties. Cast sean murray , Wilmer Valderrama , Katrina Law , Brian Dietzen , david mccallum , Mark Harmon , Rocky Carroll , Gary Cole , Joe Spano Release Date September 23, 2003 Seasons 22

The concept of hacking is often presented in a wildly inaccurate way in TV shows. In many instances, it appears that hacking someone else's computer can be achieved in a matter of minutes and by pretty much anyone. In reality, hackers can take hours, days, or even weeks to gain access to a system, if at all. Hackers are also not easily traceable, yet a lot of crime procedural shows mysteriously spot these computer whizzes almost immediately.

This scene is baffling, not just because they believe that if they fight back quicker, then it'll stop the hacker, but in reality, two people on one keyboard will result in a lot of errors and mistakes.

A great and often mocked example of this is in the NCIS episode “The Bone Yard.” Abby (Pauley Perrette) and McGee (Sean Harland Murray) try to identify a hacker who is repeatedly sending pop-up ads to their screen, and in an attempt to stop it, they share one keyboard to speed things up. This scene is baffling, not just because they believe that if they fight back quicker, then it'll stop the hacker, but in reality, two people on one keyboard will result in a lot of errors and mistakes.

2 Losing A Password Is The End Of The World

Social Media Accounts Are Not Guarded Like Diamonds

Black Mirror Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Black Mirror is a sci-fi anthology TV series that shows the dark side of life and technology. The series was created by Charlie Brooker, with the first season premiering on British Channel 4 in 2011. Black Mirror is notable for its dark, satirical edge that provides social commentary, particularly in continuously evolving technology. Each episode has a different cast, location, and even reality as it further explores the themes of technological advancement and its potential positives and repercussions of overreliance on it. Cast Bryce Dallas Howard , Hayley Atwell , Anthony Mackie Release Date December 4, 2011 Seasons 5

For a lot of people, both in the real world and characters in TV shows, being locked out of a social media account is a nightmare. Social media accounts being hacked is quite a prominent plot point in several TV shows and films, too. However, being unable to access the likes of Facebook or Instagram isn't as disastrous as TV makes it seem. In the real world, regaining an account is as simple as requesting a password reset link, but TV shows make this process a lot more long-winded.

Although Chris' actions are also because of his own dark past, this episode incorrectly implies that losing a password means that the account is completely unreachable.

For example, the Black Mirror episode "Smithereens." Rideshare driver Chris (Andrew Scott) is determined to help his friend regain access to her late daughter's Persona account, so he takes Jaden (Damson Idris) hostage, an employee of the social media company Smithereen. Chris then uses his position to speak directly with Smithereen's CEO, Billy Bauer (Topher Grace), and threaten him into releasing the Persona account. Although Chris' actions are also because of his own dark past, this episode incorrectly implies that losing a password means that the account is completely unreachable.

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1 3D Printers Can't Make Everything

Additive Manufacturing Isn't Capable Of Miracles

There's no doubt that 3D printers are an incredible invention. The devices are used in some amazing ways, such as creating life-saving accessories for medical conditions and putting together product prototypes. However, 3D printers do have limitations. In theory, a 3D printer can create anything, but the object doesn't necessarily work, which is a common misconception in TV shows and movies. They are ideal for making small, intricate pieces, and a great example of a 3D printer being used correctly is in The Big Bang Theory when Howard (Simon Helberg) and Raj (Kunal Nayyar) create customized action figures.

However, some TV shows treat 3D printers as if they can replicate objects perfectly.

However, some TV shows treat 3D printers as if they can replicate objects perfectly. In the Elementary episode "Step Nine," socialite murderer Lawrence Pendry (Rufus Wright) uses a 3D printer to create a gun and bullets, uses them to kill his wife, and then lets them dissolve in acetone to destroy the evidence. Although the gun itself can easily be made, a bullet needs gunpowder to make a fatal shot, and plastic by itself isn't enough to kill someone. Even if Lawrence does this off-screen, it doesn't excuse the fact that the character has no prior experience in 3D printing.