Aaron Sorkin says Social Reckoning warns social media is a runaway train
Aaron Sorkin's new film Social Reckoning, about Facebook and whistleblower Frances Haugen, warns that social media is a runaway train.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Aaron Sorkin's new film Social Reckoning will warn audiences that social media is a runaway train, the screenwriter said as he discussed the project. The film focuses on Facebook, whistleblower Frances Haugen and the harm social media has done to young people.
Sorkin first tackled Facebook in The Social Network, released 16 years ago. Since then the platform has grown to more than 2 billion daily users. The new film centres on Haugen, who blew the whistle on her powerful employer. Clips from the film refer to finding out who radicalised a friend and to an algorithm change that amplified hate speech.
Facebook has come under scrutiny over teen safety online and over whether it did enough to stop the spread of misinformation and extremist content. The company has denied claims that it put profit before people.
Sorkin said he wants audiences to have a 'goose-bump' and 'lump-in-the-throat' experience, but also to feel alarmed. He said: 'social media in general, Facebook in particular, this is a runaway train that is coming for us.'
The Oscar-winning actress who plays Haugen in the film is not on social media, according to the interview. Asked about an announced date for a ban on social media for under-16s in the country, following others, she said it was a step in the right direction. She said she was grateful she did not grow up with social media as it is today, because she thought it would have been overwhelming and destructive to her.
Sorkin, whose work has long focused on power and authority, most famously in The West Wing, also spoke about politics. The interview noted it is more than a quarter of a century since The West Wing, which portrayed politics as noble and good people trying to do good things. He said things in the US are not good right now, but that he still believes in institutions. He said that in a democracy everything is ultimately the voters' fault, and that with an election coming in a few weeks he hopes everyone turns out. Social Reckoning opens next month, and he hopes cinema goers turn out for it too.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| A date was announced for a ban on social media for under-16s, following other countries. | |
| Aaron Sorkin's film Social Reckoning warns that social media is a runaway threat. | |
| Facebook faced scrutiny over teen safety online and whether it did enough to stop misinformation and extremist content. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 treated the story as an entertainment and technology warning, leading with Sorkin's 'runaway train' quote and the film's focus on Frances Haugen and Facebook's impact on young people. It linked the film to a new under-16 social media ban and gave space to Sorkin's views on US politics. The tone was urgent but interview-led, with no opposing voices from Facebook or other platforms.
- “social media in general, Facebook in particular, this is a runaway train that is coming for us”
- “I think it's a step in the right direction”
- “things in the US are not good right now, but I still believe in these institutions”
Broadcast Timeline
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