Eighth Grade: The Negative Impact Of Social Media

Children today live in a world that older generations will never understand, as almost every single child is living with a third parent: technology. Bo Burnham approaches the topic of technology, specifically social media, in children’s lives in his film Eighth Grade by revealing Kayla’s insecurities and obsessions that stem from her constant interactions with social media. While social media apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Youtube offer a space for self-expression and connection, the film primarily highlights the negative impact of social media on children’s mental health and development. The pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards and norms of social behavior stems from social media and often creates a sense of inadequacy

Furthermore, the concept of followers accounting for friends and status is pushed onto teenagers, causing their priorities and strengths to be shifted away from the previous norm, which is displayed through the link between Kayla’s constant attachment to her phone and her desire to be “cool.” Kayla is shown observing the Instagram page of the popular girl in school and appearing discouraged when observing how many followers she has, and the types of pictures she posts. The stress of attaining followers also creates unwarranted anxiety and insecurity in teenagers, especially over their physical presentation. The film reveals how technology use can have gendered dynamics, with girls often experiencing unique pressures and challenges, specifically when relating to their appearance. The pool scene depicts the anxiety that a thirteen-year-old girl experiences over her body in public settings, which tends to come from the constant comparisons

Social media offers young people a window into a plethora of lifestyles, experiences, and perspectives, which can skew the formation of their own identities. Eighth Grade highlights how social media forces maturation on children, introducing them to content “beyond their age,” and the judgment that comes from others online. Trying to attain and maintain a good image over social media is strenuous for developing teens, who barely have a solid sense of self-identity as is. Additionally, technology forces certain societal norms as law and determines how you are viewed by others in real life. Kayla exhibits how teens use social media as a social crutch when writing her “Things I Want vs. How Do I Get Them” list, where she writes a way to attain new friends is “leaving nice comments on people’s IG.” Children depending on Instagram to make friends at thirteen years old displays the shift in social norms that has occurred between generations. Kayla also demonstrates how technology acts as an identity crutch when mindlessly using her phone at the mall with Olivia and her friends. Olivia’s friend perceives her behavior as boredom and blatantly states that it is an incident displaying their generation gap. Although they are within the same generation, the harsh shift in social norms that