Chapter 3 | Network Communications

Networked communications play an essential if not relatively understated role throughout the film. Set in the modern time, there are numerous examples where characters utilize networked computing technology to communicate with one another or to carry out some technological task.

In the Context of the Film
As discussed in other sections of this site, a primary focal point of this movie is the use of surveillance in casinos, and we can infer that the videos from the cameras are being transmitted via networks to the data processing center. In this control room, monitors are also connected to a central network that enables them to log the recordings and the analysis that the machine learning algorithms perform. Shown scattered throughout the film are additional uses of assorted devices such as cellphones and computers which are also technologies that enable networked communications.

Internet Interactions

This chapter lists many of the different aspects of the internet and the variety of purposes that various people utilize it for [1].

We Buy

The team of card counters from MIT are frequently shown flying to and from Vegas (out of Boston) and likely purchased these tickets on an online flight database

We Learn

Computers are shown in a traditional university setting being used for note-taking and other academic purposes in class.

We Enter Virtual Worlds

This category particularly connects to the film because while the students are never shown entering what we perceive as a typical virtual world in the online gaming sense, they enter a different word of sorts whenever they go to Las Vegas. The Internet, like casinos, enables people to play games with complete strangers. The main character Ben even describes how he detects a change of his personality when in Vegas, as he could be anyone he wanted to be and very different than the person he is in Boston. This is similar to how people in online games create avatars and use them as alternate personalities.

We Gamble

The movie 21 centers around gambling, but in a casino as opposed to the rapidly expanding online gambling scene. In many places in the United States Internet-based casinos are illegal, in large part due to the cybersecurity implications, which connects to the film because the characters are seen taking advantage of a real casino in ways that raise security concerns for the casino.

Identity Theft

As is the nature of a surveillance system that collects massive amounts of data for every individual, there is the inherent concern that if the data is ever breached it creates a large potential for cases of identity theft. A data breach of any degree at casinos would have absolutely catastrophic consequences for the individuals affected, as their payment methods and personal information are leaked.

The characters in the movie are also seen using fake names (as well as disguises as pictured below), allowing them to be different people in different casinos. While this is not identity theft it is regarded as identity frauds, as they are intentionally hiding their true identities to fly under the radar of casino security and reduce suspicion that is raised about their collaborative card counting efforts.

Internet Addiction

Chapter 3 also delves into the addictive nature of the internet. One line that was especially meaningful in understanding this process was, "Individual factors that make a person more susceptible to addiction include a tendency to pursue an activity to excess, a lack of achievement, a fear of failure, and feelings of alienation". Ben goes through a similar process of his life, but in regards to gambling, which is a very relevant analogy despite not being directly related to the concept of networked technologies. At the start of the movie, he assures everyone that the trip to Vegas is a one time thing and he is only doing it so he can pay for medical school tuition at Harvard. However, soon after the first success, Ben is hooked and transitions into an avid gambler. This connects to how online gamers often find themselves unable to control their compulsions because video games, like winning a hand of Blackjack provides people with immediate positive feedback that people want to continuously feel.

References
[1] Michael Quinn, Ethics for the Information Age, 8/e (Pearson, 2020), p 167. Accessed 18 April 2021.