@theatlantic named SOCIAL STUDIES as one of the 13 Best TV Shows of 2024. “Social Studies (FX) Lauren Greenfield’s docuseries about Gen Z’s relationship with social media—which its members have never lived without—may play like a horror movie to parents. Greenfield, who has long chronicled America’s evolving youth culture, had the high schoolers she followed record their phone screens, which means the series is packed with troubling footage of today’s teens passing constant judgment on one another—and themselves—online. Yet Social Studies isn’t an alarmist project condemning kids for being too into TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram; instead, it deftly examines how such platforms exacerbate timeless issues. Greenfield’s interviews with her subjects’ parents reveal how jealousy, isolation, and anxiety aren’t unique to Gen Z, and her phone-free roundtable discussions with teens demonstrate how aware they are of social media’s damaging effects. Social Studies suggests that the bigger problem is that the overwhelming litany of apps has been designed to make young users feel self-conscious. In their candid talks with Greenfield, Gen Zers prove that they, as the ones who best understand how such platforms work, may one day have the solution. — S.L” @fxnetworks @hulu @disneyplus @institute.pictures @instituteartist @greenfield_lauren