Not suitable under 14; parental guidance to 14 (drug and alcohol use, sexual references, coarse language)
This topic contains:
Children under 14 | Not suitable due to drug and alcohol use, sexual references and coarse language. |
Children aged 14 | Parental guidance recommended due to drug and alcohol use, sexual references and coarse language. |
Children aged 15 and over | Ok for this age group. |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.
Name of movie: | Social Network, The |
Classification: | M |
Consumer advice lines: | Coarse language |
Length: | 120 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
The film’s main story is presented through a series of flashbacks as seen through the eyes of various witnesses giving evidence in a civil court proceeding.
In the autumn of 2003 Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is a computer genius in his sophomore year at Harvard University and is on a quest to “do something substantial” that will gain the attention of Harvard’s elite. While drunk in his dorm room one night, Mark hacks into secure Harvard university files, steals student ID photos and then creates an on-line game that rates Harvard’s female students in terms of their “hotness”. As a result of his actions Mark receives a degree of fame and notoriety, and before long is approached by Harvard seniors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer). The Winklevoss twins have an idea for developing a social network for Harvard students and seek Mark’s assistance. However, instead of developing a social network system for the Winklevoss brothers, Mark and his best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) develop and launch their own network called “the facebook”, which quickly spreads from Harvard to a number of other elite universities across the country, attracting the interest of Napster creator, Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake).
As his social network becomes the globally recognised Facebook, Zuckerberg is sued by the Winklevoss brothers for stealing their idea and by Eduardo, who believes he has not received full recognition and payment for his role in the network’s creation
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
Computer hacking; online social networks; relationships; greed
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
The Social Network contains occasional low-level physical violence and some psychological violence enacted via the internet. Examples include:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
No additional material
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
No additional material
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
No additional material
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
No additional material
The following products are displayed or used in this movie:
The Social Network contained a number of sexual references. Examples include:
There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:
The Social Network contains drug use throughout. Examples include:
The Social Network contains course language and putdowns throughout. Examples include:
The Social Network, based on real events, is a drama about creative genius, friendship and greed. While the film targets young adults and older adolescents, it may also appeal to younger teens who are Facebook users. Parents of this age group may be particularly concerned about the film’s portrayal of drug and alcohol use.
The main messages from this movie are that:
Parents may wish to discuss the consequences, legal and otherwise, of misusing on-line social networks, and the psychological damage that can be caused through cyberbullying.
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
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Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
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