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Ashley Holmquist

Mrs. Gagne

CLC Practical Writing

09 March 2021

Social Media and Privacy Analysis Essay

As Tom Hanks once said, “I like the words ‘One Step Further.’ It’s how the company was

built” (“The Circle (2017 Film) Quotes”). The film, The Circle, gives a message to viewers about

where technology may be heading in the future and how it affects those who not only use

technology, but also those who are around technology. “One Step Further” is a theme in The

Circle because technology advances throughout the film.

The Circle is about a young woman, Emma Watson, who plays the main character, Mae.

Mae is offered a job at The Circle, a large technological company. She begins working there with

the intention of making the world a safer, better place with new technology. Technology

advances throughout the film, introducing SeeChange, the health bracelet, SoulSearch, and

others. SeeChange refers to little battery-powered cameras that are placed in locations across the

world. Mae is introduced to the health bracelet that will be used for her father to watch his

multiple sclerosis symptoms. At the end of the film, Mae introduces SoulSearch to The Circle

employees. Everyone is amazed by this until it causes the death of Mae’s friend, Mercer. To

honor Mercer’s death, the film ends with Mae speaking about everyone using SeeChange, so no

one has to wonder where anyone is. With SeeChange, everyone will know where everyone is and

what they are doing all the time.

In the beginning of the film, The Circle, advanced technology is used and thought of as a

good tool. For example, with SeeChange, there are cameras everywhere and it would solve
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crimes and no one would be able to hide secrets. Another example is using the health bracelet

Mae receives. It is used to monitor one’s health, and could potentially save more lives. However,

by the end of the film, advanced technology is thought of as a bad tool. With Mercer’s death,

Mae is convinced that she has gone too far and is sucked into The Circle’s actions. Another

example from the film is when these technology pieces are used, the amount of personal privacy

decreases. Technology is a good tool, however, too much of a good item can be bad.

The film, The Circle, sends out a message to viewers that privacy is not a part of using

technology. An example of this is in the film when Mae started working at The Circle and two of

her co-workers talked to her about spending her time wisely after work hours. Mae was shocked

because these co-workers knew exactly what Mae was doing after work. Another example is

when Mae decided to wear a SeeChange camera after she stole a kayak one evening. Because

Mae wore this camera all the time, she had little to no privacy, except for a few minutes to do

personal things, such as use the bathroom. The Circle may also be predicting what technology

will look like in the future. Today, we have access to cell phones, security cameras in our homes,

tracker systems, etc. Technology could advance in the future to be like the technology used at

The Circle. However, if it were to advance that much, people should be aware of the strength of

it.

In conclusion, The Circle film shows viewers instances of positive uses of technology, as

well as the dangers that are associated with technology. This is true in reality, as technology is

used for communication, but it can also be used for control. If technology continues to advance,

we may see The Circle become a reality.

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Works Cited

The Circle. Directed by James Ponsoldt, Performances by Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, and John

Boyega, 1978 Films, 2017.

“The Circle (2017 Film) Quotes.” Poem of Quotes: Read, Write, Learn,

https://www.poemofquotes.com/quotes/film-tv. Accessed 09 Mar. 2021.