Mark Zuckerberg is not always considered the most relatable figure in Silicon Valley. However, it is understandable why he might find it awkward to have a film made about his life. In an appearance on the YouTube podcast Colin and Samir, Zuckerberg discussed his experience of watching “The Social Network” for the only time.
He described the experience as “weird,” noting that although the film accurately captured details about his clothing and other specifics, it misrepresented his motivations and other narrative elements. The film, which is now 15 years old, was mentioned because Zuckerberg was wearing a T-shirt that actor Jesse Eisenberg wore while portraying him in the movie. Zuckerberg had purchased this T-shirt at an auction. Although he was once known for wearing plain grey T-shirts, Zuckerberg has since become more attentive to his fashion choices, suggesting that his T-shirt selection was deliberate.
Zuckerberg arranged a screening of the movie for his company, acknowledging that his employees would likely be intrigued to see it. He discussed the film’s portrayal of his motivations, particularly the suggestion that he was driven by the desire to find a girlfriend. He clarified that he was already dating Priscilla Chan before founding Facebook.
There might be connections made between Zuckerberg’s portrayal in the film and another website he created during his college years: Facemash. This app allowed students to vote on which of their classmates they found most attractive. While it was popular among some, it upset others due to privacy concerns, as Zuckerberg had used student ID photos scraped from private servers.
Zuckerberg expressed that it is unfortunate how myths can develop over time regarding the origins of internet entities. He refuted the idea that Facemash was a precursor to Facebook, attributing the persistent link between the two to the influence of “The Social Network.” Reflecting on the situation, he remarked, “I was just a kid.”
