Blog post #2- Samantha Miller
In the film Eighth Grade, Kayla's character and her experiences as a young teenager in the digital age represent the struggles many teenagers face today as they try to make sense of a life dominated by digital media. The younger generations of society today are raised in a world where advanced digital technology and a large online presence are prevalent. Many teenagers feel the pressure to live up to the social norms and expectations of popular culture within new media. Kayla's character is represented in a way that highlights many of the struggles that come alongside this pressure. Teens in the digital age often struggle with a lack of face-to-face interaction instead of interacting via screens or other technology, causing more people to struggle with social anxiety. This battle can be seen in the pool party scene where Kayla deals with social anxiety and feels out of place around the 'popular girls.' The online presence of Kayla makes her appear outgoing and confident when interacting with her peers, but when it comes to face-to-face interaction, she struggles to find the same confidence. In contemporary society, this is a very common scenario, as teenagers do most of their socializing online rather than in person, causing social anxiety when they are faced with real social situations.
Great post Samantha! The pool party scene captures Kayla's struggle with social anxiety, as you mentioned. This reflects the common societal trend of virtual interactions frequently replacing genuine face to face communication, likely contributing to increased anxiety in social situations. The mobie is essentially a refelction of the modern teenage/adolescent experience, causing us to have to look deeper into the impact of digital media on genuine human connection. Eighth grade sparks important discussions about the changing nature of social dynamics in our increasingly digitized world, forcing us to recognize the true essence of interpersonal relationships in the digital age. Based on these findings and specifically in relation to the anxiety kayla exhibited during the pool party scene (despite appearing confident online) is there any ways this scene compares to your own observations of social dynamics among teens in the digital age? Do you think that the pressure to conform to online expectations contributes to real world social challenges ?
ReplyDeleteHi Samantha,
ReplyDeleteGreat post this week! I also talked about Kayla in Eighth Grade and I believe our opinions are fairly similar. Technology, while Kayla is able to use it to appear extroverted and outgoing, as you say, might actually be harming the way she interacts with others. I believe her character uses it as sort of a crutch and, as you explain, this is evident in the lack of confidence she experiences in person. I think the movie opened my eyes to the fact that this experience online as a kid was not restricted to me and my friends and I would say that the online world does make it more difficult to connect in person. Would you say that an age requirement for technology might benefit situations like Kayla's? Or would it just delay the inevitable?