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COMMENTS developed out of a feeling of fear and deep empathy. Fear for the challenge’s teenagers must tackle because of social media, and empathy because I only just made it out unscathed. I am part of that odd generation who experienced some life without internet, but had early versions of social media in the very formative high school years. I wasn’t tethered to a smartphone, so fortunately found the baby versions of the apps never really dominated the real-life relationships that were so influential on my state of mind. For me, that state of mind was rocky; insecure, unsure, often depressed and anxious, craving to stand out but desperate to fit in.

However, evolving into a frequent social media user as a young 20-something whilst experiencing self-image, self-esteem and anxiety issues became a serious challenge. We know they’re built to be addictive, and I felt it. I couldn’t stop imagining the younger me with Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat, or rather, worrying about the younger me. That was the catalyst to understand how teenagers were engaging, moderating and coping with it now. I wanted to find a way to cinematically explore some of the feelings social media can provoke.

I talked to a lot of teen girls from different ages, locations and school environments. I talked to teachers, parents and researchers. The feeling of living a double life was often spoken about, as well as feeling hostage to your device. Stories of bullying came up a lot. I empathised, as a kid I had similar experiences, both as the bullied and the bully. I had an adult’s perspective of the psychology and environmental context for both sides, and remember the swift action of schools and parents as they observed the behaviour take place. But the gap in experience lay in the weapons of choice; the apps, the message threads, the fake accounts, the digital blackmail. The anonymity offered to online perpetrators and their shielded attacks was unprecedented. What I found even more complex was the confluence of the online tools being the source of pain but also the balm for the wounds. They provided comfort in the form of validation, connection with likeminded communities and an element of escape.

COMMENTS is inspired by these conversations, my own experiences and the impact of social media on self-image, resilience and mental health, and the complex psychological toll that cyberbullying, endless comparison and a dual identity can have on young people. I came to understand that, unlike my adolescence, social media is not an addition to young people’s lives, it is an extension of their reality. Isolating yourself from the network, or deleting the apps is not the simple solution. Although there are structures and support for intervention, and the ability to block and delete, there’s no real permanent escape from the internet.

The film examines the relationship between resilience building and that online rabbit hole; the attraction, addiction, lure and potential damage it can have. It asks, how can you build resilience as a young person when the internet is both barrier and balm? The most important part of the film for me was the conversation Maddie has with her dad at the dinner table. The scene acknowledges the communication barrier between the generations, but despite that, Maddie’s dad recognises something’s wrong and he wants to help her. He finally tells her that she can talk to him, a sentiment I want to strongly support within my own sphere of young people, with a potential child of my own, and with all young people viewing this film. We don’t get Maddie’s answer, the phone buzzes again and she can’t ignore it, because that’s reality. But her dad’s not going anywhere, and I hope anyone struggling with similar experiences knows that there is always someone in their life who is there to help them too.