The youth are facing significant challenges.

This reality is vividly portrayed in “Social Studies,” FX’s five-part documentary series that explores the influence of social media on today’s adolescent generation (currently available on Hulu). Topics like sex, substance use, bullying, and skipping school are familiar to every teen. But can we really assume that life for today’s youth is not that different from 2004?

While contemporary teens grapple with these issues, they do so under the intense scrutiny of social media. Additionally, new dangers arise from the unregulated online space, including TikTok accounts that glamorize anorexia and trending sexual fetishes that could be harmful, alongside extreme instances of cyberbullying.

Although this trend has been ongoing, “Social” provides a striking and fresh perspective on social media’s impact on today’s teenagers as they share their experiences and grant unrestricted access to their digital lives. The documentary features a group of teenagers from Los Angeles beginning in 2021, capturing their lives at school, home, and with friends, along with their online interactions. Viewers are taken into their bedrooms, parties, as well as into their more concealed and dangerous digital spaces like TikTok’s For You pages and private Snapchat chats. “Social” portrays a comprehensive view of contemporary young adulthood that has largely gone unrepresented before. The revelations are alarming for parents and should be a concern for everyone.

“I was aware of body image issues, but the extent was shocking,” shares documentary director Lauren Greenfield (“The Queen of Versailles”). “One kid mentioned, ‘Half my friends claim to have eating disorders from TikTok, while the other half are just pretending.'”

How can these teens escape when they are bombarded with media glamorizing diet culture and thinness, alongside accounts that promote harmful eating behaviors? The documentary reveals how creators with ill intentions easily bypass the rules banning such content on platforms, and how the harmful algorithms tend to propel the most damaging material to the most susceptible users. Similar concerning content emerges when Greenfield discusses another sensitive subject: sex.

“Numerous children expressed that they learned about sex through online pornography,” states Greenfield. In a recurring focus group session, when she inquired about their first exposure to porn, one girl mentioned she was just 5 years old. “The ages are continuing to get younger,” Greenfield observes. The docuseries also underscores risks associated with certain sexual trends on platforms like TikTok. “Discussions around BDSM and choking are becoming trends, leading to the idea that liking ‘normal’ sex is not acceptable.” Teens reported consuming this content, causing them to develop distorted perceptions of healthy sexual relationships, including the notion that women must suffer to satisfy their male partners.

“I don’t believe you can log onto TikTok and feel safe,” asserts 17-year-old Stella. However, Stella and her peers consistently mention that, despite not enjoying their online presence, disconnecting means losing vital connections with friends. Therefore, they continue scrolling.

Lessons from ‘Social Studies’ for parents, teens, and policymakers

“This is a documentary every parent and their teen should consider viewing,” recommends Alison Yeung, a family doctor in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, who offers guidance on screen time to families. “Teenagers navigate completely different realities than their parents did. This technology is their normal, but the effects on their mental and physical well-being are alarming.”

Greenfield approached “Social” with a mindset similar to that of a parent facing the same screen time dilemmas in today’s complicated environment. She hopes the series will enlighten parents about the current experiences of their children.

The director advises parents to “view the series and truly listen to the teenagers’ perspectives. I have encountered many parents expressing their fear of watching it. That’s part of the broader problem — parents are hesitant to confront the realities.” However, “Social” emphasizes the importance of this understanding. One mother featured in the series shared her grief over losing her son to suicide and stated, ‘We must transition from mere talking to genuine listening.'”

Through her conversations, Greenfield discovered that the kids were eager to explore the daunting issues affecting them. She encourages parents to heed their children’s warnings about the addictive and damaging aspects of social media. While it can be challenging to appreciate the seriousness of teens’ concerns, they are indeed “both the subjects

The director has created an educational program for both parents and teachers, inspired by the series. However, she emphasizes that the issues associated with social media cannot be tackled by one family or educator alone.

“We require government regulations, along with support from schools and tech companies,” Greenfield states. “Research shows that social media can be addictive. It’s unrealistic to expect children to manage this on their own or for parents to control their access completely.”

“The more we engage in conversations about this issue, the more we notice actions like schools starting to prohibit phones,” she adds. “Making this a significant part of our cultural dialogue can lead to change.”

Yeung, the family physician, shares the same view. “If any product aimed at children displayed clear evidence of causing harm, it would be removed from the market immediately due to safety concerns,” she argues. “However, since these tech companies wield substantial power, they continue to pose risks to children.”

“In a decade or two, we’ll likely reflect on how we permitted these companies to operate such harmful and unchecked technologies for such an extended period,” she concludes.