'Social Studies' Reviews: "Whether your takeaway is repulsion or affection or newfound understanding or the desire to seek out an Instagram-free existence in the wilderness, Social Studies will stick with you"

         On September 27, 2024, FX premiered 'Social Studies', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics. "Filmed in Los Angeles over a school year, "Social Studies" is an ambitious social experiment that features a diverse group of LA teenagers. The series follows these adolescents as they open up their lives and phones to offer an intimate glimpse into how social media is reshaping childhood. From battling bullying to grappling with beauty standards and other issues, their compelling and relatable experiences go on a raw, visceral and urgent journey through the challenges of growing up in the digital era." But what did the critics say?

       Aramide Tinubu of Variety notes, "Social media feels like it has always been here. From Instagram to TikTok, many of us spend a portion of our day mindlessly — or intentionally — scrolling through these platforms. But it wasn’t always like this. Facebook started just 20 years ago, and most millennials (and older people) can pinpoint the moment they first made their accounts. But Gen Z and the generations after have very different perspectives. In her new FX series, “Social Studies,” documentarian Lauren Greenfield examines social media’s harrowing and horrifying effects on a group of Los Angeles teenagers who have never known a world without it. Engrossing and troubling, the docuseries presents a time capsule of today while allowing the teens to speak for themselves."

Photo by Oscar Nord on Unsplash

       Daniel Fienberg of Hollywood Reporter says, "Whether your takeaway is repulsion or affection or newfound understanding or the desire to seek out an Instagram-free existence in the wilderness, Social Studies will stick with you." Adding, "Early in the premiere, Greenfield mentions that the production has a therapist on-call if anything proves to be “activating” for the kids, but the therapist is never mentioned again. The subjects appear to be more comfortable discussing their deepest, darkest secrets — what secrets they still have — with their peers in organized discussions, in libraries, classrooms and bleachers. The conversations, which cover everything from the disorienting experience of “going viral” to the insidious creep of cyberbullying to the unavoidable prevalence of, well, insidious creeps, deliver many of Social Studies‘ most potent moments. In bold relief, they capture the difference between the unexpected loneliness of virtual communities and the catharsis possible through real-world interaction."

       Nick Schager of The Daily Beast writes, "Of course, a lot of these problems existed before everyone had a “Finsta.” Yet Social Studies’ perceptive portrait illustrates how much they’ve intensified courtesy of these services. The desire for attention and acceptance compels many (such as 15-year-old Jordan and University of Arizona freshman Sydney) to post sexually explicit pics for their followers, and a handful confess that they’ve been asked to (and, in some cases, have) sent nudes to those requesting them. For others, social media affords a platform for entrepreneurial advancement, as with TikTok star-turned-party host Jack and DJ and aspiring musician Keyshawn, the latter of whom is soon juggling work and fun with fatherhood. For 16-year-old Bella, meanwhile, social media became a battlefield, thanks to a former friend who waged a nasty campaign against her after Bella kissed her boyfriend."