In an insightful and raw look into the lives of the first generation raised entirely on social media, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Lauren Greenfield introduced her latest docuseries, Social Studies, during a TCA press conference. The series, premiering tonight on FX, delves into the real-life struggles of teens growing up in the digital age.
(Rob Latour)
Throughout the press conference, Greenfield emphasized how social media plays both a positive and negative role in teens' lives. “A lot of the kids have really mixed feelings about social media and are very conscious of the mostly negative effects that it’s having on them,” she said. “They’re extremely media savvy…but really the almost unanimous point of view was that it’s impacting their mental health in a way that we all need to be conscious of.”
Reflecting on her 30-year career, Greenfield acknowledged that her preconceptions about how much social media has changed youth culture proved true: “It was like all of the things that I had looked at in my career but on steroids – the early loss of innocence, the exposure to everything…Now it's so uncontrollable even the kids don't want to see what they're seeing.”
What makes Social Studies unique is the honest and raw conversations that the teens engaged in during the series' group discussions. Greenfield revealed how these moments allowed the teens to let down their guard: “They weren’t showing off. They were extremely honest. By the end they actually said it was therapeutic to have these sessions.”
Greenfield also reflected on the difference between how the teens presented themselves on social media versus in person: “You see in their social media them being presentational… But when we were together, they really took it on very differently. They didn’t pay attention to having makeup… They were extremely honest.” For Greenfield, this openness created a powerful environment where the teens could express their true feelings. “I think it’s so important for teenagers to see their issues reflected in other people,” she noted. “They all felt like they were alone in having these feelings or experiences. And to have somebody else speak it… it just turned out to be the most moving thing.”
Although Social Studies is filmed in Los Angeles, Greenfield pointed out that the experiences of the teens are universal. “L.A. is great because it’s kind of like the hot flame of being close to all of this— celebrity, image, image-making, influencers,” she said. “But on the other hand, this is something that kids all over the country are experiencing.” The diversity of the cast adds to the documentary’s authenticity. “They’re from Hamilton High, L.A. High, Pali High… from Inglewood, South Central, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, mid-city… It’s extremely diverse,” Greenfield explained.
Greenfield closed the press conference by reflecting on how Social Studies is not a traditional documentary filled with expert commentary, but rather a series that allows the teens to tell their own stories. “This is like slow journalism, like three years of in-depth verité with kids,” she said. “It’s totally experiential. There’s no lecturing to.”
Ultimately, Social Studies aims to spark an important conversation about social media and its impact on today’s youth. As Greenfield put it: “It’s the air they breathe, but it’s poisoned air.”
Social Studies premieres tonight at 10/9c on FX, with episodes streaming the day after broadcast on Hulu.