Noah Gajewski

This movie is one of the most egregious examples of fearmongering I've witnessed from a documentary. There are so many flaws you could point out with some of the negative effects of social media ~ namely, how a profit-hungry capitalist economic system encourages corporations to form addictive algorithms. Instead, the blame is levied onto the younger generation. There's a fundamental generational gap between the way we communicate that has quickly become demonized. This is why the adults involved don't understand why young people are inclined to be online. What the documentary fails to see is that a lot of the "terminally online" young people use social media as a means to escape from a much harsher life at home. As a result, a lot of the concerns voiced by parents feel more like projections than genuine critiques. Ultimately, while there certainly are dangers to social media and an online presence, Screenagers couldn't have done a better job at being out-of-touch and insensitive. Let us live.