Review: Jobs Challenges Youth to Change the World

August 29, 2013 /

Johnny Flores felt inspired by Jobs, the film starring Ashton Kutcher.

Johnny Flores felt inspired by Jobs, the film starring Ashton Kutcher.

 

JOHNNY FLORES/Coachella Uninc

 

 

We all have the power to change the world, regardless of how the world sees us.

This message was my takeaway from Jobs, the film chronicling the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, from his college days in 1971 up until the reveal of the revolutionary iPod in 2001. The film starred Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs.

Watching Jobs inspired me to be more and to dream bigger. One quote that really influenced me was, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.”

As cliché as it sounds, Jobs, believed he could create something if put his mind to it. His mentality was that everyone was created equal and that it is up to each of us to use the life we are given to become something more. Anything is possible if you believe in yourself and your vision.

The original Apple I development team consisted of a rag tag group of college students who never truly fit in with the status quo. However, that small team went on to create groundbreaking technology and make history.

Despite some acting flaws and an inconsistent script, Jobs is a highly enjoyable movie that grasps the viewer early on and doesn’t let go until the credits are rolling. The movie’s message is very powerful and has left a lasting impression on me and, hopefully, other young people.

The movie fittingly ends with the words from Apple’s iconic 1984 Super Bowl ad: “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently…they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.”

The film provided a close-up of the ups and downs that Jobs and Apple faced, as well as an insightful look at Jobs’ guiding principle for success: “You’ve got to have a problem that you want to solve, a wrong you want to right.”

These words drove the development of Apple products and how Jobs presented them to customers. He viewed his products as an extension of everyday life, and each product stood as a right to a wrong already present in the life of a customer.

Jobs’ words challenged me to be a better advocate for change in my community. Which wrongs can I right? How many wrongs can we right collectively?

 

Johnny Flores, 16, lives in Coachella and attends Xavier College Preparatory High School. 

 

 

 

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