In the FX docuseries Social Studies, the realities faced by teens during the return to normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic are depicted, focusing on their interactions with social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Esteemed photographer and documentarian Lauren Greenfield, recognized for works such as THIN, The Queen of Versailles, and Generation Wealth, follows a diverse group of teenagers from the Los Angeles area. As these teens emerge from lockdown, Greenfield explores their responses to the overt sexuality and materialism propagated by social media. Some teenagers are seen posing suggestively for likes, engaging in unhealthy digital relationships, and succumbing to peer pressure. Throughout the series, Greenfield’s probing questions often yield candid responses from the teenagers.
Participants in the series were required to share not only their lives but also their phones, giving a glimpse into how these young individuals navigate a distinctive adolescence. This exposure led parents and audiences to a deeper understanding of this generation’s unique experiences. Greenfield recounted to Mashable the insights she gained after spending a year and a half with the teenagers of the 2020s.
The inspiration for Social Studies stemmed from Greenfield’s early project, a book about Los Angeles teenagers titled Fast Forward: Growing Up in the Shadow of Hollywood. Initially focused on how media influenced values such as image, celebrity culture, and materialism, she noticed these values increasingly amplified through social media. This shift was particularly notable while observing the differences in social media’s influence on her own children, aged 14 and 20, during the pandemic.
Greenfield aimed to explore this emerging media form through film and structured the series as a social experiment, following the lives of selected teenagers over 150 days. Participants had to share their phones to contribute to the project, which was crucial in illustrating their post-COVID conflicts between offline and online lives.
The impact of COVID-19 intensified social media’s role as a communication tool, highlighting teenagers’ increased social anxiety and reliance on online interactions. Greenfield noted this amplified environment provided an ideal setting for conducting a comprehensive social experiment.
Despite the challenges, the teenagers were notably candid during their participation, a factor Greenfield attributed to the series’ selection process and her approach to building intimacy. Many of the teenagers were eager to share their experiences, seeking an audience that could listen without judgment, unlike parents, teachers, or friends. Group discussions revealed shared struggles, reinforcing a sense of community among the participants.
The series also explores the role of parents, who, despite being largely unaware of the intricacies of social media, expressed significant concern for their children’s well-being. While many parents are focused on ensuring safety, the series exposes hidden dangers present within online platforms—a realization that underscores a need for open communication between parents and children.
The series raises questions about healthy social media behavior, with Greenfield likening it to managing an addiction rather than expecting users, particularly children, to self-regulate in a beneficial way on something so inherently addictive. Instead, she advocates for regulatory measures on tech companies, emphasizing the importance of creating communication channels with parents.
In summary, Social Studies seeks to underscore the value of listening to and understanding the youth, encouraging the expression of personal voices as a crucial counter to cultural pressures imposed by social media.
