The Social Network

Jan 13, 2011 Kevin Hanzlik

Face Time

Please excuse my lack of attention towards writing this article. I’m currently updating my Facebook status while watching The Social Network and reading about Time Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’, Mark Zuckerberg. After all, Facebook is now a major part of our lives, like it or not.

The Facebook Phenomenon

In 2010, Facebook became more than just an innovation in the way we communicate. It’s now a business tool, a major influence on popular culture, and part of the Global lexicon. For over 500 million people worldwide, Facebook is intimately tied to individual and cultural identity. No one knows what the future of Facebook and online social networking holds, but it’s clear that the way we socialize and exchange information is changing rapidly.

Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg is the CEO, co-founder, and driving force behind Facebook. According to his own Facebook page, Zuckerberg’s personal interests include revolutions, information flow, and minimalism. Well, there’s nothing minimal about this controversial figure’s success, weighing in at a net worth of over 6.9 billion dollars at the ripe old age of 26. For Zuckerberg, however, the road to success has been a bumpy one. Genius, brat, revolutionary or just a smart, socially awkward young entrepreneur, the face of Facebook has been thrust into the international limelight, reluctantly so at times. His interviews are stilted and defensive. His demeanor is off-putting. But does that mean Zuckerberg has something to hide or that he’s just a little uncomfortable talking to people? Either way, this huge figure is looking to the future with undaunted ambition.

The Social Network

Oh, the irony of a socially inept kid creating the world’s largest social network. Sounds like a movie, doesn’t it? Director David Fincher and writer Aaron Sorkin thought so. Their hit movie, The Social Network, chronicles the founding of Facebook and portrays Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, in a less than flattering light. The highly acclaimed film details much of Zuckerberg’s legal battles and his bratty, somewhat hostile reaction to confrontation. Eisenberg gives an unforgettable performance as the snotty, uncompromising, fairly unscrupulous mogul. The movie ends on a poetic note with Zuckerberg sitting in an empty room, staring at his computer, awaiting a Facebook friendship confirmation from his ex-girlfriend. It’s a rather symbolic representation of this figure and the world of online social networking as a whole. But how does Zuckerberg himself feel about the film? In an interview with Mashable Entertainment, he stated, “We build products that 500 million people see…If 5 million people see a movie, it doesn’t really matter that much.”

http://www.facebook.com/

http://www.facebook.com/markzuckerberg?v=info

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2037183_2037185,00.html

http://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-zuckerberg

http://mashable.com/2010/10/06/mark-zuckerbergs-take-on-the-social-network-interview/

http://mashable.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/