What Big Screen Tech Moments Can Teach Us About the Real World
Written by Jess.
When I first sat down to watch The Matrix I found myself reaching for a talking point (instead of the popcorn). That moment when Neo takes the red pill and everything changes? It’s thrilling. But it’s also a reminder: technology doesn’t just change what we can do—it shapes the way the world functions, including the risks that can come with it.
I’ve since noticed (more than usual) that movies really tie enjoyment to valuable lessons, in this case about what can happen when the line between human and machine blurs.
I believe it’s worth the share, since we’re all using tech every day, even right now as you’re reading this. Here are three lessons sci‑fi and tech‑heavy films teach us—and how we can use them as turning points.
1. Connectivity is great, but risky.
In many tech movies, things like a city grid, a global network, or just one smart device are built on connectivity. In movies, particularly the ones set in the future, connectivity amplifies how useful technology can become. But what it also emphasises is the vulnerability that comes with it. That oscillation between “wow” and “uh oh” is real.
Take movies like The Matrix–they depict hacking situations that give me and the kids near-accurate clues about how real-world cyberattacks come to be. We’ve gotten to a stage in our world where tech giants like social media, banks, governments, and so on have endless databases that store all of our information (including our money).
From a parent’s standpoint, it’s a chance to say to your kids: “Look, having your phone, your games, your friends online—these are superpowers. They also come with responsibility.”
2. The human is (or isn’t) in the loop.
Another common trope: the machine takes over, or humans plug directly into the system. It’s exciting, but it also raises the question: in all this tech, what role do we play?
Alright, but what’s that in parenting terms? Raising your kid in today’s tech-filled world doesn’t mean they’re automatically equipped to steer it. Start a conversation from what you see in the movies on the screen and ask, “Who’s actually at the controls?”.
It begs another question: ‘What kind of content am I choosing to consume the most? How much of that is actually good for me?’. With disinformation, fake news, and the like being a byproduct of our every day tech, you start to wonder how this impacts the spongey minds of your kids (and yours, of course).
Sure, you can scroll past or linger on things as they come, but are you really in control of what you see and how you see it?
That kind of question is golden for a post‑movie chat.
3. Ethics should not lag behind innovation.
Finally: movies remind us that just because we can build something doesn’t mean we should—or that we’ve thought through the consequences.
Take a film like Blade Runner 2049: it presents astonishing tech (replicants, AI, and so on) but frames the human cost, the identity questions, the long shadows.
When watching with teens, I point to this and say: “Technology is exciting, but we’re still the ones doing the thinking—and the deciding.” I’ve found it’s simple media literacy. That’s the conversation we want them to have now, not later.
Why this matters now
Technology is a part of our everyday lives now. If we treat movies purely as distractions, we miss a chance to reflect on the world around us. But if we use them as opportunities—well, then we’re giving ourselves context, questions, and critical thinking.
So, pick a tech-filled action or sci-fi movie with a killer plot and watch it with your kids.
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