Coming-of-age is a challenging time for everyone — mental and physical changes, new social dynamics, and raging hormones make adolescence a universally difficult time to figure out who you are. Now imagine all of that happening while maintaining constant social media presence. That’s the experience of the “digital natives” at the heart of Lauren Greenfield’s new documentary series Social Studies, airing on FX, Hulu, and Disney+.
During the height of the COVID pandemic, LAUSD teens shared their social media access with Greenfield.
“I felt like that was critical because we really don't know what's … on the phones. It's a realm that's usually out of reach for parents,” says Greenfield.
She followed the group of teenagers over the course of three years.
“One of the overriding influences that I saw is this toxic 24/7 comparison culture, and the way kids, as they're struggling to form their own identities, are looking at what everybody else is doing,” says Greenfield.
She adds, “The surprising thing we heard is that almost all of the kids would rather have been in their parents' generation before social media existed.”
The docuseries is more than entertainment, she notes. The show gives parents and other adults resources to speak with their teenagers about the effects of social media.
“We've also created an educational curriculum so teachers can have these conversations, like the ones we have in the show in their classroom, and do a variety of exercises to help kids navigate the social media age.”
To Greenfield, the goal of the documentary is more than just a “spend-less-time-online” PSA.
“We need government regulation, just like all of the other media is regulated. We also need tech companies to take responsibility, to be responsible like publishers, and to fix the algorithm so it doesn't prey upon young people's most vulnerable flaws in human nature.”
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