Review: Social Animals.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend a screening of the new documentary, SOCIAL ANIMALS that just released in December.

(Mind you – this is not the fictional movie Social Animals that also came out in 2018. That film looks terrible. Avoid at all costs!!!)

I’m talking about the documentary SOCIAL ANIMALS.  SOCIAL ANIMALS follows the storyline of three teens who share their lives on social media.  Kaylyn, an aspiring swimsuit model in southern California. Humza, a kid with a natural eye for photography and an irrational lack of fear from inner city NY. Emma, a sweet every-girl who lives in Ohio. The only connecting point in these story arcs is an app on a phone that consumes their time, energy, and brain-waves.

And after viewing the lives of these teens from the outside, all I can say is, I’m sad. And scared. And tired. Very tired.

First – SOCIAL ANIMALS was directed and shot by Jonathan Ignatius Green, who leads a branding agency called Conscious Minds. The film is gorgeous – shot with an incredible precision that is stunning and worthy of being watched on a big screen as opposed to a tablet or phone.  So when you watch the film – and you absolutely should watch this film – please do yourself a favor and stream it to the largest device you have available. 

Second – Jonathan is one of those documentarians who is happy to just let the story tell itself. Rarely do you hear any voices other than that teens and an occasional parent. No back-story, no voice over, no retelling of the story…it’s just kids being kids.

Only not what I experienced when I was their age.

They are dealing with so many other issues that were never dreamed about when my mind, body, and self-worth were developing. There is a litany of positive stories – trying to flirt with someone from school, reaching a celebrity status, getting affirmations about your looks, finding friends from around the world.

But there is also a price.

Bullying. Negative comments from friends, family, and strangers. Inappropriate comments.  The inability to know the tone of the message. Potential stalkers and messages from people who may not be just who they say they are. Friends who turn vicious when they are in the anonymous world of the internet.

Kaylyn finds the celebrity she’s looking for – but also receives threatening messages from a potential stalker.

Humza also finds celebrity. A kid who started taking photos on a broken iPhone, his talent is undeniable. But he also is accused of crimes, is called out by his community, and spends time looking over his shoulder-unsure of who he can trust. His ability to handle his new status is quite admirable though, and I’m exited to see where life takes him.

Emma’s life is the normal stuff. Boys. Friends. School.  She is the average Midwest girl in every sense of the word. But the cattiness that I experienced in High School didn’t include vicious attacks, and statements stating that I should kill myself.  I didn’t have non-stop access to posts from boys I was interested in. My time wasn’t able to be spent questioning who people are in posts.  I can only assume that my experience could have been very similar to hers.

Where I think the film really shines is the chorus of other teens who chime in and share their own stories. These quick sound bytes support not only the stories told by the three main subjects, they shed light on other issues – good and bad – that come from non-stop social media.

When these teens talk about the amount of time and energy spent on posting pictures, that have to be in a certain order, with a certain number of likes in a certain amount of time, I just get tired. I am sad that so much of their lives are based on the viewpoints of strangers. That so much of their self-worth is based on likes and comments.

I hope teens will watch SOCIAL ANIMALS with adults who care about them, and that they will feel safe to share their own experiences.

I hope parents will watch the film with their teens and get in conversations about their online footprint.

I hope teachers, coaches, counselors, and youth workers will watch the film and start having discussions about a person’s worth.

I hope we can take time to create a positive, encouraging online presence to help build up kids who have been hurt by Instagram.

Take a few moments out of your day, sit down with your favorite teen, and watch SOCIAL ANIMALS. You’ll be glad you did…and it may make all the difference in the world to the young person with whom you share your time.

More info and links to view the film are here: