The Social Network

After arriving home from the movies last night I checked into Facebook on my iPhone. There's nothing unusual about that, it's normal for me to look at Facebook several times a day. Actually, I'll be honest, since getting an iPhone it's more likely that I'll check into Facebook a whole heap of times a day.

What made it a bit different last night was the fact that I was hesitant to log in. I'd just been to see The Social Network and felt like not logging in just to say a big fuck you to Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg, played brilliantly by Jesse Eisenberg, is not portrayed in the most positive light in the film.  A genius outsider, desperate to fit in, Zuckerberg alienates the few people who actually like him in his quest to be 'cool'.

The guy is smart and he knows it, and that's his problem. His intelligence comes with an arrogance. He isn't shy in hiding the fact that he thinks he is above others who aren't as blessed as he in the brain department.

This arrogance makes him so unlikeable. It makes you think, 'why the hell am I using his website and helping to generate billions of dollars for him?'.

But money isn't even it. In the film Zuckerberg isn't motivated by money. His motivation, pure and simple, is having people accept him and appearing cool.

The reason I wanted not to log onto Facebook was so I wouldn't give his arrogance validation. The more popular and successful he and Facebook become, the more he continues treating others like shit. Let's face it, it's worked well for him so far hasn't it?

I guess it's debatable how much of the movie is fact and fiction. As the old quote goes 'Never let the truth get in the way of a good story', and to be honest it hasn't really damaged the Facebook brand has it?

No, because I did log onto Facebook last night. And I have again since then. You see, as much as the film makes you despise Mark Zuckerberg, he has changed the way the world communicates. Facebook gives me the opportunity to stay easily in touch with friends who I may have been unable to. I'm instantly aware of upcoming events of friends. I can track a friend's pregnancy, see pics of family and friends interstate and overseas, and so on.  Facebook gives you so much info that you want to keep using it.

That's where you can see Zuckerberg's genius. He's made it so that people still want to use his product despite them wanting to give him the middle finger and you've got to give the guy credit for that.