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Austin Meares
English 101
Professor Bolton
20 February 2012
The Social Network: Is Technology Really Worth it?
The film, The Social Network, details the controversy surrounding the establishment of
Facebook. In this film, a sophomore at Harvard College named Mark Zuckerberg uses his
coding ability to make a name for himself. Because Zuckerberg is known around the campus for
his computer skills, he is approached by two fellow students who wish to create a social website
exclusive to Harvard students and alumni. Apparently wanting to gain favor with the two
students, Zuckerberg takes on the project. When Zuckerberg launches Facebook a few weeks
later, a website of his own creation, the two students accuse him of intellectual property theft.
The students claim that Zuckerberg stole their idea for a social media site; they say that
Facebook is based off of the site Zuckerberg agreed to help them develop. To add to this
conflict, the movie reveals the increasingly intense tension between Zuckerberg and his best
friend, Eduardo Saverin. This conflict arises because of Zuckerberg’s decisions regarding
Facebook’s financial management. Through its portrayal of the life of Mark Zuckerberg, The
Social Network puts forth an unfortunate effect of the proliferation of sophisticated technology;
technological advance, while positive itself, inevitably adds to the tension of modern life.
Much of the film chronicles the negative role technology played in Zuckerberg’s relations
with other people. Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook, for example, is what led to termination of
his friendship with Eduardo Saverin. The relationship of the two friends falls apart after
Facebook is incorporated and Zuckerberg makes financial decisions harmful to Saverin.

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Corollaries of this falling-out between friends are, unfortunately, all too common in today’s
world. Catalyzed by communications technologies such as the cell phone, simple jokes and
comments can turn into friendship-breaking events. Consider texting, an increasingly common
form of communication brought about by creation of the cell phone. Because texting is intended
to be a convenient form of communication, users will abbreviate messagfes at will, often making
them unclear. Such ambiguous messages can be misunderstood and wreak havoc on a
relationship. The film offers further insight into this area of technological effect by describing
Zuckerberg’s relation to Erica Albright. Though their relationship was going poorly at the film’s
beginning, abrasive blog posts made by Zuckerberg regarding Albright serve to further degrade
their relationship. The availability of online blogging was an undeniable contributor to the
negative relationship of Zuckerberg and Albright. Despite their immense value, the cell phone,
computer, and other forms of electronic communication contribute greatly to the stress of
modern life.
A second example of the negative role technology plays in Zuckerberg’s life is the
lawsuit filed against him by the Winklevoss twins. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the two
students who approach Zuckerberg asking for assistance in making a social site for Harvard
students, become enemies of Zuckerberg because of Facebook. Believing that Zuckerberg stole
their idea for a social networking site, the twins sue him heavily. I believe that this example of
the conflict caused by technology has a daily-occurring parallel in today’s internet world:
plagiarism. The conflict caused by theft of another’s thought perfectly mirrors the film’s
depiction of conflict between Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins. While plagiarism is an
obvious generator of legal tension, it causes tension among peers as well; in an academic setting,

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it is unfair, not to mention illegal, to steal the writings of another. Technology, while itself
benign, tends to encourage tension and confusion among those who use it.
Furthermore, this film shows that technology increases the competitive tension of daily
life. The two lawsuits detailed in the film were filed by parties jealous of Facebook’s financial
success. The explosive success of Facebook, not a bad thing in itself, is shown to lead to this
destructive competition. The fierce antagonism portrayed in the film is mirrored by the
contention that has arisen from the advent of electronic stock trading. As a financial tool,
electronic trading allows corporations to take efficient, expeditious financial action. In spite of
the invaluable fiscal advantage that results from electronic trading, trading in this way has
introduced new levels of stress into several professions. Stock brokers and mutual fund
managers, for example, are pressured to make the highest possible gains. Fifty or a hundred
years ago, accomplishing such a task meant simply picking productive investments. In contrast,
because of the rapidly fluctuating data provided by electronic trading, trading at precisely the
right time has become an important factor in today’s market. Mere milliseconds can make a
difference when dealing with millions of dollars worth of capital. The pressure to make large
trades at just the right moment can drive some money-managers over the edge. Because of
technology credited with revolutionizing the modern stock market, the jobs of many individuals
are many times more stressful than comparable jobs were 100 years ago.
Lastly, this film points out that the function of technology itself contributes to the tension
of modern life. When the Facebook bank account is frozen, jeopardizing Zuckerberg’s ability to
keep the site’s servers up and running, he hysterically proclaims to Saverin, “If those servers are
down for even a day, our entire reputation is irreversibly destroyed!” Though Zuckerberg’s
hysteria comes from his company’s lack of funding, his stress comes from the results of the

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servers ceasing to function. Likewise, in daily life, people depend on technology so heavily that
its failure can cause not only tension and difficulty, but even hysteria. For example, a discharged
car battery can cause great worry and delirium for the owner of the car, who is possibly stranded
without a ride. While it is ridiculous to think of abandoning cars for this reason, as they are vital
to the proper function of modern society, it is undeniable that they can cause problems.
The claim made by this film that technology leads to tension is unfortunately accurate.
Though it deals with some of the negative aspects of today’s society, this is a well-made and
enjoyable film. Not only is this film enjoyable to watch, it provides insight into an often ignored,
yet critically important, facet of modern life: the ever-increasing tension that accompanies ever-
advancing technology.

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Works Cited
The Social Network. Dir. David Fincher. Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Perf. Jesse Eisenberg and
Justin Timberlake. Relativity Media, 2010. DVD.