Social Implication Topics

          Network Communications, specifically censorship, plays a prominent role throughout Divergent. In the film, censorship is what allows Triss to make it all the way through Dauntless's training until she is discovered to be Divergent by Jeanine.

           During the aptitude test, Triss was found to be Divergent. Tori, the woman conducting the aptitude test lied about Triss' results and kept it a secret from all factions. This example of censorship was used in the film by Tori because she knew the harm it would bring to Triss and the factions if the news that Triss was Divergent got out.

           Another example of censorship revolves around the Abnegation faction. Abnegation is made up of the most selfless individuals, and those that sacrifice their lives for helping others. They strive for peace and tranquility. As a result, they behave differently from other factions and oversee the government. In the film, Triss and other members of Abnegation aren't allowed to look at themselves in a mirror. If they do, it is for a quick second. This is an example of self-censorship, where Abnegation is deciding that they shouldn't reveal information about their faces to themselves.

           Freedom of Expression is a fundamental component of the United States Constitution, and in Divergent, the right to express one’s own decisions is prohibited. The aptitude tests prohibit young characters from making their own decisions, as they are told to commit to the faction that their aptitude test aligns them with. If they express their opinion and disagree with their assigned faction, then they are left homeless on the streets.

           From a technology perspective, there are no real network communication technologies present in the film. Cell phones, internet, and social media are just a few of the network communication technologies that are not present. The most intriguing question to ask is why is this the case. Erudite has the ability to develop these new technologies as demonstrated by their control center used to control members of Dauntless. Computers, monitors, and touchscreen devices are all present within the control center. However, we see no means of communication present in the film via networks such as phones, social media, or the web.