Solomon 1

Claire Solomon
Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin
Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric
10/12/14
Technology: Communications Crutch
David Finchers compelling biopic, The Social Network, gives viewers a glimpse
at the lives of the millennial generation and forms a sharp critique about the everincreasing importance of technology in our social development. Since it makes everyday
life so much easier in many ways, technology has, according to the film, become a
hindering crutch that young people use to deal with their emotions, communicate, and
socialize.
One of the central critiques of todays social norms is the widespread use of
technology to express emotions and feelings. The film uses rhetorical techniques to
highlight the flaws in this popular method of coping, focusing on the starkly public
consequences of misusing these resources. Mark Zuckerberg is characterized as the
epitome of the criticized behaviors, with his quick tongue and brash, emotion-driven
actions. The filmmakers utilize the importance of camera angle in the opening scene,
which takes place in a crowded bar. The location and position of the camera places the
audience at the table with Mark and Erica Albright, as if to personally witness the
collapse of their romantic relationship. Mark, representing the millennial generation,
takes to the Internet to vent his angst-ridden feelings about Ericas blatant rejection,
hastily typing insults about his former girlfriend onto his public blog: Erica Albrights a
bitch. Do you think thats because her family changed their name from Albrecht, or

Solomon 2
because all BU girls are bitches? For the record, she may look like a 34C but shes
getting all kinds of help from our friends at Victorias Secret. When Eduardo Saverin
later asks Mark if he is okay, Mark does not understand how his close friend knows about
his unfortunate breakup. Its on your blog, Eduardo responds matter-of-factly, drawing
attention to Marks ignorance of the publicity of the Internet and its long-term
consequences. Later in the movie, we see that Mark has ruined any chance of a friendly
relationship with Erica as a result of his ignorance of the sheer publicity of his blog. As
he was typing, he did not consider the fact that anyone could access his thoughts, even
the subject of the post. Erica herself read Marks nasty words; consequently, they
changed her view of him forever.
Moreover, Erica Albright is an important individual in the film, frequently used to
further illustrate the blatant problem of the misuse of the unrestricted universe of the
Internet. Marks ex-girlfriend acts as a voice of reason and is considered a character the
audience should sympathize with. The film plays with the audiences emotional response
to Mark and works to engage the audiences loyalties (Herrick 13) to Erica. Viewers
are prompted to disapprove of Mark through the films negative portrayal of his pathos,
proofs of emotion [which] appeals to the values of the audience (The Ethical,
Rhetorical, and Practical 2). She seems innocent yet likeable because she is the target of
Marks biting comments. The Internet's not written in pencil, Mark, it's written in ink,
Erica says after Mark halfheartedly apologizes for his scathing blog post. And you
published that Erica Albright was a bitch, right before you made some ignorant crack
about my family's name, my bra size, and then rated women based on their hotness.
These events are emotional appeals for the audience to feel sorry for Erica and to develop

Solomon 3
bitter feelings towards Mark. In addition, Marks ethos, proofs (or evidence) of
character, or credibility (The Ethical, Rhetorical, and Practical 2), has also been
compromised because he is no longer an appealing person to be around. Since the film
displays many instances of Marks mean-spirited actions, he no longer has likeability or
the audiences trust.
With the detached trust and communication that runs rampant today, The Social
Network portrays another facet of modern society: the importance of displaying status for
the world to see, namely, on the Internet through social media. A major status symbol
portrayed in the film is the publicity of romantic relationship status. Christy, Eduardo
Saverins girlfriend, is portrayed as a clingy, insecure character who not only keeps her
boyfriend wrapped around her finger, but also is obsessed with the world knowing about
it. When she says, Why does your status say single on your Facebook page? a clueless
Eduardo responds, I was single when I set up the page. And you never bothered to
change it? Christy demands. In the midst of a tense situation, Christy instantly accuses
her boyfriend of infidelity because he has not specified his relationship status on his
Facebook page. Instead of showing compassion for Eduardo, whom Christy has not seen
since he got back from his trip to California, she shifts the focus to the importance of her
own public image. Her behaviors magnify the fact that she cares more about advertising
her relationship than actually maintaining a healthy bond with Eduardo. Although it may
seem otherwise in the digital world, Christy and Eduardos relationship becomes more
and more toxic throughout the movie, with Christy chasing Eduardo until he abruptly
breaks off all communication with her.

Solomon 4
Communication with others is the essence of socialization; modern technology
can either help or hinder the process. The Social Network argues for the latter position. A
recurring theme throughout in the movie is the state of being wired in, in which people
break off communication with others while using technology. For example, in the scene
in which Mark is typing on his blog after his break up with Erica, the position of the
camera directly behind the computers monitor works to support this argument. It
focus[es] attention on one detaila detail that is much less noticeable (Lancioni
107). Since Mark is the sole person in the foreground with everyone behind him being
blurred out, the camera draws attention to Marks isolation that might not have been as
detectable from another position. Marks inner dialogue is louder than the conversations
taking place behind him, signifying that he is focused on his thoughts instead of the world
around him. This detachment is not only shown in Mark, but also with his Facebook
programmers. In California, the viewer is briefly introduced to Andrew, one of Marks
first Facebook employees. The first time he appears on screen, Andrew is sitting far away
from the audience, by himself at the kitchen table typing furiously on his computer,
unresponsive to the mayhem that goes on around him in the chaotic house. When Sean
Parker, Marks business partner, introduces himself to Andrew, Mark instantly
comments, No, hes wired in. Andrews eyes dont stray from the computer monitor;
he almost completely ignores Seans presence, dismissing his introduction with a wave of
his hand. This scene is yet another commentary on the lack of human interaction
between people once one is fully involved in the digital world. When ones attention is
focused on technology, there is little room for much else. Given the choice, many people

Solomon 5
choose to communicate and interact with others over the Internet instead of
communicating face-to-face.
Of course, many readers might disagree with this cynical point of view because,
after all, Facebooks technology aids in connecting people from vast distances who might
not be able to communicate otherwise. No long-distance couple, student attending a
college far away from his or her hometown, or soldier deployed across seas would
disagree. Technology is undoubtedly a major player in the daily lives of people in these
situations, under which it can improve the circumstances of those involved immensely.
They have no choice but to communicate from behind screens. In the beginning of the
film, Facebook allowed students from a select group of universities socialize and stay in
touch with each other. Soon, Zuckerberg expanded and the world of communication for
college-aged students was changed forever. Young people added their crushes as friends
on the site, viewed each others profiles, and displayed their interests and relationship
statuses for all to see. There is no doubt that the film portrays the positives of this
technology in the college communities. However, the film also shows how technology
has become a more and more popular crutch, giving individuals an easy way to sidestep
traditional means of communication. As mentioned earlier, people like Christy and
Andrew blatantly portray the negative effects of technologys influences in the film. The
Social Network contrasts the initial hope and promise of technology with many
unflattering aspects through obsession with relationship status, disconnect with reality,
and impersonality of communication. While technology can improve the lives of many
people in ways that have not been possible before, the film shows that there are those
who abuse the privileges on a daily basis.

Solomon 6
The Social Network views technology in our daily lives through a lens of
negativity. This topic has great impact over countless people in the United States and the
world. Facebook is the quintessence of technologys impact over socialization, and its
influence can be seen in many aspects of our lives many businesses, sports teams, and
schools have Facebook pages to advertise, Facebook creeping has become a favorite
pastime of many, and users are uploading 350 million new photos [to the site] each day
(Smith). Facebook touches the lives of over a billion users around the world. However,
The Social Network uses its rhetoric to suggest that these advances may change the world
for the worse. At the end of the movie, the characters are broken down, their relationships
destroyed. The film implies of the possibility of the same happening to the whole of
society could the new ease of communication through the digital world be our
downfall?

Solomon 7
Works Cited
Bolter, Jay David and Richard Grusin. Chapter 1: Immediacy, Hypermediacy, and
Remediation. Remediation: Understanding New Media. 21-50. Cambridge: MIT
Press, 1999. Print.
"The Ethical, Rhetorical, and Practical." University of Notre Dame University Writing
Program. University of Notre Dame, 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.
Herrick, James A. ""An Overview of Rhetoric"" The History and Theory of Rhetoric. 2nd
ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2001. 1-30. Print.
Lancioni, Judith. The Rhetoric of the Frame: Revisioning Archival Photographs in the
Civil War. Visual Rhetoric: A Reader in Communication and American Culture.
Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications, 2008. Print.
Smith, Cooper. "Facebook Users Are Uploading 350 Million New Photos Each Day."
Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.
The Social Network. Dir. David Fincher. Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Perf. Jesse
Eisenberg. Columbia Pictures, 2010. DVD.