TL;DR: The Internship is a 2013 buddy comedy that doubles as a two-hour commercial for Google. While it’s definitely a "comfort movie" for adults, it’s a surprisingly useful tool for starting conversations with middle and high schoolers about tech culture, the "hustle," and why being a "people person" still matters in an AI-driven world. Just be ready to fast-forward through a strip club scene if you're watching with younger teens.
Quick Links for the Tech-Curious Family:
- The Movie: The Internship
- The "Real" Tech Story: The Social Network
- For the Budding Coder: Scratch
- The Entrepreneurship Sandbox: Roblox
If you missed this one during the peak Vince Vaughn/Owen Wilson era, here’s the gist: two old-school watch salesmen lose their jobs because, well, nobody uses watches to tell time anymore. In a fit of desperate "digital transformation," they land an internship at Google.
They are "Nooglers" (new Googlers) competing against 20-year-old geniuses for a handful of full-time jobs. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story. While the tech references are a bit dated now—they talk about "the line" and "the Instagram" in ways that feel very 2013—the core themes of workplace culture and skill adaptation are more relevant than ever.
We spend a lot of time worrying if our kids are learning to code or if they’re falling behind the AI curve. The Internship offers a different perspective: the value of soft skills.
In the film, the "genius" kids have the technical stats but zero "Googleliness"—the movie’s term for being a decent, collaborative human. For parents, this is a great entry point to discuss why emotional intelligence (EQ) is just as important as knowing how to prompt a chatbot or build a Minecraft mod.
The "New Digital Hustle"
Kids today are growing up in a culture that prizes the "side hustle." Whether they're trying to earn Robux
by designing clothes in Roblox or dreaming of becoming the next MrBeast, the pressure to be "productive" online is real.
The Internship shows the high-stakes, competitive nature of Big Tech. It’s a sanitized version, for sure, but it opens the door to talk about:
- Work-Life Balance: Is the free food and nap pods at a tech company a perk, or a way to make sure you never leave the office?
- Collaboration vs. Competition: How do you stay a "team player" when you're all fighting for one prize?
- Failure: The characters fail a lot before they succeed. In a world of curated Instagram wins, seeing adults flop is actually pretty healthy for kids.
If your kid watches The Internship and starts asking questions about how the tech world actually works, here are a few ways to keep the momentum going:
Ages 16+ If The Internship is the "Disney version" of tech culture, Silicon Valley is the raw, cynical, and hilarious reality. It’s definitely for older teens (lots of language and mature themes), but it’s the gold standard for understanding how startups actually function—and how ridiculous they can be.
Ages 13+ For a more dramatic look at the "move fast and break things" era, this movie about the founding of Facebook is essential viewing. It’s a great companion to The Internship because it shows the darker side of tech ambition. Read our guide on the ethics of social media
Ages 8-16 If the movie inspires your kid to actually want to build something, skip the complex languages for a second and let them play with Scratch. It’s a block-based coding language developed by MIT that lets kids make games and animations. It’s the ultimate "low floor, high ceiling" tool.
Ages 15+ A bit of a "deep cut," but this show follows the personal computer revolution in the 80s. It’s fantastic for showing the history of the tech we take for granted today.
The Screenwise Rating for The Internship: Ages 12+
While the movie is rated PG-13, there are a few things that might make a "family movie night" a little awkward:
- The Strip Club Scene: About midway through, the team goes to a strip club. There’s no full nudity, but there’s a lot of suggestive dancing and "atmosphere." If you’re watching with a 10-year-old, this is your "go get more popcorn" cue.
- Language: Typical Vince Vaughn banter. Fast-paced, some profanity, and a lot of sexual innuendo that will likely fly over the heads of younger kids but might prompt questions from 12-year-olds.
- Drinking: There is a significant amount of "party culture" depicted as a way to bond with the team.
Ask our chatbot for a specific breakdown of the "awkward" scenes in The Internship
Watching a movie like this is a "passive" activity, but you can make it "active" by asking a few low-key questions afterward. (Pro tip: Don’t do this while the credits are rolling or you’ll get the eye-roll. Wait until you’re in the car or grabbing food.)
- "Do you think the 'Nooglers' were actually smarter than the older guys, or just faster?" This hits on the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
- "Google looks like a playground in this movie. Do you think real jobs are like that?" This is a great way to talk about marketing vs. reality.
- "In the movie, they win because they work together. Have you ever been on a team where one person tried to do everything?" This relates back to their experiences in school projects or Roblox groups.
The Internship isn't high art. It’s a bit formulaic, and it definitely treats Google like a utopia. However, in an era where our kids are bombarded with "hustle culture" on TikTok and YouTube, seeing a story that prioritizes empathy, teamwork, and resilience is actually a breath of fresh air.
It’s a "safe" way to look at the tech world without the "brain rot" of shorter, less coherent content. Plus, seeing Vince Vaughn try to explain "the cloud" is still objectively funny.
- Check the Vibe: If your kid is into coding, Scratch or Code.org are the logical next steps.
- Discuss the "Hustle": Read our guide on kids and digital entrepreneurship to see how to balance their drive with digital wellness.
- Community Context: Curious how many other parents in your school district are letting their 6th graders watch PG-13 comedies? Take the Screenwise Survey to see how your family’s media boundaries compare to your local community.
Learn more about how to navigate tech culture with your kids