Friend Me?
The Social Network is a visually and intellectually captivating film with so many nuances to pull out and discuss. As this was my first viewing, it was difficult to follow any one thread through the entire movie (i.e. every instance of green lighting). But there was one concept, the concept of connection, that opens and closes the film, making an interesting statement about human connection in the gadget age.
The movie opens with Mark Zuckerberg’s character fixating on the idea of “final clubs,” an exclusive society of people that signifies status and success. He also rants to his then-girlfriend, Erica, about the importance of connections on Harvard’s campus and in life. He remarks to Erica that joining a final club would be good for them both, as it would allow her to connect with important people she wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to connect with. He even argues that connection, Erica’s alleged sexual history with the bouncer, is how they got into the bar that night. Her rebuttal to this is that it isn’t about sexual history, but because they are genuine friends. To make this theme incredibly obvious, Mark even says “I don’t want friends.” This opening scene shows a distinct difference in how Mark’s character views connection. He doesn’t see friendship, emotion, or humanity in the same way others do. He views connections as tools for getting what he wants.
This concept of connections follows Mark’s character through the film, demonstrating itself through his relationship with Eduardo’s character. Eduardo proves himself a true friend to Mark time after time, from sticking by his side through the social and legal backlash from Facemash, lending him a thousand dollars to start Facebook, and forgiving him countless times for the careless and inconsiderate things he says and does. In the end, after Eduardo proves himself as Marks’ only friend, Mark betrays him and removes his place both in the company and his life. This further demonstrates the idea that friendship does not hold value to Mark’s character, and serves only as a way to get what he wants.
This concept is also demonstrated through the character Mark admires most: Sean Parker. Sean’s character has nothing to offer Mark except for his name and his connections. He doesn’t have an education, money, a business, or integrity. But Mark admires his carefree attitude and ability to, for the lack of a better word, ‘screw” others over without remorse. His glamorous party lifestyle excites Mark, as well as his fame and connections to important people in important places to further Facebook as a business. Sean’s connections bring Facebook to the next level, which is more valuable to Mark than Eduardo’s love and support.
This theme of connection comes to fruition in the final scene. After winning a lawsuit over Eduardo, he walks over to Mark and says, “You had one friend.” Mark, who then owns an enormously successful social network built on connection, with millions of members, doesn’t have a single true connection in the world. He sits alone in the board room, continuously refreshing his own Facebook page after friend requesting his ex-girlfriend Erica, the lost connection that drove Mark to create Facebook in the first place. This all comes together to form a statement on the validity of digital connection: on their own, they mean nothing. A virtual friend connection on Facebook holds no meaning if you do not have a genuine connection to back it up in the real world.
A man who controls and facilitates millions of friend connections has no true friends. The irony.
