Social Studies (2024 TV series) explained

Genre:Documentary
Director:Lauren Greenfield
Creator:Lauren Greenfield
Country:United States
Num Episodes:5
Music:Volker Bertelmann
Producer:Frank Evers
Language:English
Runtime:56-66 minutes
Network:FX

Social Studies is an American documentary series created, directed, and produced by Lauren Greenfield. It follows teenagers over the course of a school year in Los Angeles, exploring how the generation has grown up online.

It premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024,[1] and premiered on September 27, 2024, on FX.[2] [3]

Premise

Over the course of a school year, the series explores Generation Z students in Los Angeles who deal with bullying, racism, beauty standards, and sexuality, specifically through the use of social media.[4] [5]

Production

Development

Greenfield started developing the series during the COVID-19 pandemic when she noticed her teenage son having difficulties communicating with other kids in person.[4]

Filming

Production on the series took place beginning in August 2021, at various high schools throughout Los Angeles including Archer School for Girls, Venice Skills Center, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles High School, Hamilton High School, with 1,200 hours of footage over 150 days, including screen recordings of students phones.[6] [7] [4] Greenfield was interested in seeing the impact of social media as schools re-opened after the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

Reception

[9] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

Aramide Tinubu of Variety wrote: "Engrossing and troubling, the docuseries presents a time capsule of today while allowing the teens to speak for themselves."[11] Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times praised the series writing: "The result is an instant time capsule that might leave you shaken at times, while other moments are truly inspirational and moving. On balance, though, what we witness is often more troubling and alarming than hopeful."[12] Joel Keller of Decider suggested viewing the series writing: "The sheer volume of what Greenfield shows teens being up to will scare any parent more than any blood-and-guts show Ryan Murphy can come up with."[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Telluride Festival Lineup Includes Nickel Boys, The Piano Lesson and Saturday Night With Tributes for Jacques Audiard and Saoirse Ronan. Variety. Clayton. Davis. August 29, 2024. September 4, 2024. August 29, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240829151353/https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/telluride-festival-lineup-2024-saoirse-ronan-1236118451/. live.
  2. Web site: TCA news: FX sets "Social Studies," latest 'New York Times Presents' doc for fall. Real Screen. Justin. Anderson. July 10, 2024. July 21, 2024. July 10, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240710193251/https://realscreen.com/2024/07/10/fx-sets-social-studies-latest-new-york-times-presents-doc-for-fall/. live.
  3. Web site: FX Sets Premiere Dates for New and Returning Series. The Futon Critic. July 10, 2024. July 21, 2024. September 4, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240904182919/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2024/07/10/fx-sets-premiere-dates-for-new-and-returning-series-934313/20240710fx01/. live.
  4. Web site: Into the Phones of Teens . Fry . Naomi . November 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241114125344/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/into-the-phones-of-teens . November 14, 2024 . November 28, 2024 . The New Yorker.
  5. Web site: Social Studies. FX. July 21, 2024. October 5, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241005195512/https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/social-studies. live.
  6. Web site: If you're a parent, Lauren Greenfield's new doc about teens and social media 'is a horror movie'. Los Angeles Times. Yvonne. Villarreal. August 30, 2024. September 4, 2024. October 5, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241005195500/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-08-30/social-studies-lauren-greenfield-teens-social-media. live.
  7. Web site: How Dangerous is Social Media to Teens? A New Documentary Asks Some L.A. Kids to Explain. Town & Country. Nicole. LaPorte. September 27, 2024. September 27, 2024. September 27, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240927175023/https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a62387317/social-studies-documentary-lauren-greenfield-interview-2024/. live.
  8. Web site: Social Studies. Institute Artist. September 27, 2024. October 5, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241005195601/https://instituteartist.com/Social-Studies-Lauren-Greenfield. live.
  9. Web site: Social Studies. Rotten Tomatoes. October 4, 2024.
  10. social-studies. tv. 1. Social Studies. September 27, 2024.
  11. Web site: FX's 'Social Studies' Is a Devastating Exploration of Teenhood in the Age of Social Media: TV Review. Variety. Aramide. Tinubu. September 27, 2024. September 27, 2024. September 27, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240927143528/https://variety.com/2024/tv/reviews/social-studies-review-fx-1236156217/. live.
  12. Web site: 'Social Studies': Teens open up their phones for doc that's often alarming. Chicago Sun-Times. Richard. Roeper. September 27, 2024. September 27, 2024. October 5, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241005195606/https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2024/09/27/social-studies-review-hulu-fx. live.
  13. Web site: Stream It Or Skip It: 'Social Studies' On FX, A Docuseries About How L.A.-Area High Schoolers Use And Deal With Social Media In A Post-Pandemic World. Decider. Joel. Keller. September 27, 2024. September 27, 2024. September 27, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240927192226/https://decider.com/2024/09/27/social-studies-fx-review/. live.

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