Timely doc addresses social media, mental health, and the state of being young in America today.
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Instagram has the better part of one billion users, but the new documentary Social Animals sets its sights on just three. It’s enough.
Director Jonathan Green picked a trio of very different subjects from completely different worlds, but their stories combine to tell a cautionary tale that does more than simply frighten. Social Animals pulls back the curtain on modern teen life and the promises and perils it entails.
While both coasts are represented, it’s the middle of the country that yields the best fruit. Growing up in semi-rural Ohio, Emma looks like a typical teen. She bright, engaging, and has a wicked dry humor. Like most students at her school, she made an Instagram account and used it as part of her daily routines. Selfies, group pics, and anything that would get some likes made it onto her feed.
And then came boys.
Even though she went to a Christian school, Emma wasn’t immune to rumors, gossip, and backbiting when it came to young love. Unfortunately, things got so bad that she ended up transferring to public school after an extended bout of online harassment. It was unfortunate but not at all atypical.
It wouldn’t be the last time something like this would happen.
Out in California–Calabasas, no less–Kaylyn is all blonde hair and smiles with a confidence that can only come from money and lots of it. To her credit, Kaylyn never comes off as a “mean girl” though she’s certainly naive to what her search for internet fame means. She sees celebrities online and knows what she wants. To her credit, she pretty much achieves it. She’s one of the winners in the Instragram world.
In New York City, a young man with a penchant for climbing tall structures with no fear of the risk marries this skill with a love for photography that’s a perfect fit for the modern world of social media. Humza gains fame by scaling the city’s world-famous bridges and capturing images few others could. He certainly faces some trails, especially in regards to some decisions he makes when the law comes down on him, but overall he’s another victor in the struggle for online fame, trading on it for gallery shows and a fashion line.
Back in Ohio, Emma finds another boy and even more problems. Her story is one every person, parent and child alike, should hear, and her courage in telling it is the true gift of the film.
In between interviews with the big three, Social Animals showcases several other regular kids involved in this now regular activity. Their stories about the way social media works (or should work) compliment the words of Emma, Kaylyn, and Humza. Young folks will watch this movie with knowing nods, and parents will probably react with a little shock and a desire to protect their children. No matter the audience, Social Animals has much to teach us all.
Official website: www.socialanimalsfilm.com
