Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series that follows a group of diverse teenagers as they open up about their social media use and its overall effect on them, FX’s ‘Social Studies’ is truly unlike any other. That’s because it delves deep into not only how it helps them feel more connected with others in the world but also the bullying, hate, as well as peer pressure that may come alongside it. Therefore, of course, the fact that its participants are high school students and recent graduates whose ages range from 15 to 18 is significant since they all bring a different perspective.
Ella Novie is a Rising Director
When we first came across Ella, the 17-year-old was admittedly struggling with keeping down her phone and focusing on the present because the COVID-19 pandemic had changed her habits. The Venice, California, native even went as far as to concede that while she used to read and be involved in a lot of creative activities, everything changed during the lockdown. “My social media use has increased by a lot, like 100%,” she candidly stated in the original, only to then indicate that it was also affecting her studies as her concentration level had dropped.
Nevertheless, from what we can tell, Ella has not just graduated from Palisades Charter High School (class of 2022) but also managed to embrace her true creative passions. In fact, today, at the age of 20, she is a student filmmaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she, along with two of her closest creative friends, has even established a production company. In other words, this dog mom currently serves as a founder, writer, and director at Memento Pictures Ltd., under the banner of which she made a short film titled ‘Her Rotting Apples’ earlier in 2024.
Ivy is in College and Leading Her Best Possible Life At the Moment
Although born Isabella D’Ambrosio, Ivy is a Santa Monica, California, native as well as Palisades Charter High School (class of 2022) graduate who prefers to go by her nickname. She has actually never been shy about the fact she’s the daughter of actor Vito D’Ambrosio or that there was a time she was quite affected by the sexualization of women online, but she has since also found her own path. Instead of falling into the peer pressure of consistently posting skin-revealing images on social media for more engagement and validation, she learned what true connection really means.
Therefore, today, 20-year-old Ivy appears to be thriving in every sense of the term, especially as she has the healthy, loving companionship of her long-term music producer boyfriend, Safari. As for what she’s up to these days, it seems like her priorities are traveling the world alongside her loved ones, supporting Safari in his endeavors, spending quality time with those who matter the most to her, and establishing a successful career later in life. We say “later” because, from what we can tell, she is currently preoccupied with attending the private Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois, for a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing.
Jack Schwartz is an Entrepreneur Through and Through
While it’s true that Jack initially started earning money by selling legitimate tickets to parties, he soon realized there was much more he could do and ended up launching an eco-friendly brand. He actually founded Loonar Clothing alongside his best friend Mateo Santa Maria in May 2020 with the vision that it would represent equality for all, and they were gradually able to achieve it. Then came this then-Palisades Charter High School student’s evolvement into a content creator, leading him to such heights that he’s now under Snapchat as well as TikTok’s Creator Programs.
As if that’s not enough, Jack also founded a lucrative app named MyPlots in March 2021, which is essentially a platform for the younger generation to help them create and organize social events. This genuinely turned out to be a success, too, driving the creative visionary, fashion CEO, and trailblazing entertainer to realize innovative business is what he wants to do for the rest of his life. Therefore, he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, to study business as well as economics in 2023, so he’ll graduate as a Theta Xi fraternity member in the summer of 2027.
Keshawn Domingo Has Matured Into a True Artist
It was reportedly back when Keshawn was just a young boy that he realized the importance of ambition, hard work, and money in one’s life, owing to his late father being a gang member. So, not long after he developed a deep passion for music as well as DJing, he decided to use social media to his advantage and launched a career in the same field despite just being a teenager. The unwavering support of his loved ones and then-partner Amari encouraged him further. The fact that was going to become a father further boosted his motivation.
Many teenagers might have run away from this situation, yet Keshawn made it clear he would stick by Amari no matter what her decision about their child was before embracing the role of a dad. Their son was born in 2021 when he was 18, and even now that he and his baby mama are no longer together, he is happy to co-parent and provide for his family in every way they might need. It’s no surprise his determination has grown tenfold in the past few years, resulting in him now having a legitimate career with several original singles and EPs, including, most recently, ‘Girl’s Trip’ (released July 2024)
Sydney Shear is an Aspiring Filmmaker With a Myriad of Intriguing Ideas
Despite the fact Sydney admittedly got caught up in the world of social media and its trends throughout her high school stint at Pacific Palisades Charter from 2017 to 2021, she never once let go of her true passion. Therefore, even with the drama of teen dating life, extreme bullying and cyberbullying, and having a diss track written about her, she never gave up on her dream of being involved in the entertainment industry. In fact, this Sherman Oaks, California, native actually transferred from the University of Arizona to New York University’s Tisch School Of The Arts around her first year itself to formally study film and television.
Sydney is scheduled to graduate with full credit in 2025, yet she hasn’t let it stop her from already dabbling in writing, editing, as well as directing originals of her own. She has genuinely followed in her early film pioneer grandfather Barry Shear’s footsteps, especially as she is seemingly already a part of SAG-AFTRA and has originals under production. Her NYU short film is titled ‘Laundry Days,’ and the short psychological thriller she has written as well as directed is ‘Autumn Leaves’ — there are GoFundMe pages for both if you wish to help her along. Furthermore, she has already written, directed, edited, and released a dark comedy short named ‘Clown.’
Jonathan Gelfond is a Man of Many Hats
Since Jonathan has always had a keen interest in humanistic and people-based storytelling, he wanted to be involved in Lauren Greenfield’s ‘Social Studies’ the moment he found out about it. The fact its subjects were primarily his schoolmates was obviously a massive plus, driving him to decide he would document their unfiltered feelings about this experience, which is included in the show. In this way, he became a significant part of the production, which is how we know he truly cares about people and their mental health, resulting in him even interning for Teen Line.
Since then, though, Jonathan has not only graduated (class of 2022) but also enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is currently an honors student double major. However, it’s imperative to note this Psychological & Brain Sciences and Film & Media Studies student is also minoring in the Department of Clinical Counseling and School Psychology. As if that’s not enough, the outdoor enthusiast is even focusing on his career as a Cinematographer and Documentary Filmmaker, all the while serving as a Research Assistant to a professor examining genetic variance in drug abuse.
Ellie Hiyar is Now a Hobbyist DJ and Rising Model
Despite having grown up in the not-so-affluent neighborhood of Mid-City in Los Angeles, Ellie has always blended in with different crowds thanks to the opportunities her mother’s hard work as a nanny presented. Hence, she was surrounded by and got to learn from a myriad of diverse individuals, unaware she would suddenly go viral in her early teenage years for being involved with ‘IT’ actor Jack Dylan Grazer. What followed was, unfortunately, her spiraling into a pretty dark place owing to the extreme cyberbullying she had to endure, which continued even after she and Jack parted ways owing to some innate differences.
However, with the unwavering support of her mother, elder sister, niece, and life-long best friend, Ellie was gradually able to return to her real self and continue leading an everyday life. That is, until he admittedly decided to discard everything during her senior year for a boy, unaware the seeming toxicity in her relationships wouldn’t allow them to actually stay together for long. Since then, though, having learned from her past, it appears as if this 20-year-old Los Angeles native has truly managed to move on in life and is now embracing her position as a public figure. As if that’s not enough, she has even started dabbling as a model for different brands and photographers, all the while also letting all her creative energies flow by making original mixes on Soundcloud.
Bella Vacchiano is Thriving at SMU
Although Bella was admittedly going through a really tough time when we first came across her in the FX original reality docuseries, she never let it take over who she is and aspires to be. According to her own accounts, she was being extensively bullied by a former friend as well as the latter’s entire group following a fallout over a boy, but she didn’t let it interfere with her studies or social standing. However, she did assert that this constant negative attention on her was so bad that if she was someone else – someone less strong – it very well could have even driven her to self-harm.
Now, though, Bella’s entire life is drastically different thanks to the fact this 2023 Palisades Charter High School graduate has truly found her people at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. This 19-year-old travel enthusiast actually did her first semester across Europe before returning and happily joining the Tri Delta (Delta Delta Delta) sorority for a true sense of belonging. We should also mention this Los Angeles native is currently in a happy, healthy, loving relationship with Joc Aymond, a fellow SMU class of 2027 student and Sigma Nu fraternity member.
Anthony Shumate is Truly Following His Dreams
While Anthony established himself in the hearts of viewers through his powerful stance on social media against racism and bullying as a recent Palisades Charter graduate in 2021, it was his perseverance that intrigued many. After all, he made it evident in the show that he was an aspiring photographer doing his best to take up as many shoots as possible to not just hone his skills but also save up enough money to attend university soon. He didn’t want any handouts or pity; he simply wanted to be appreciated for who he is, his ambition, his hard work, as well as his unwavering perseverance, which is what has enabled him to succeed.
Anthony ostensibly hasn’t yet managed to enroll in any college for further studies, but he has since spread his wings to such an extent he now holds the titles of both Photographer and Creative Director. In fact, in the past couple of years, the now 21-year-old has worked with TPP Magazine, Goji Magazine, and Fctry Lab Projects, amongst several other people as well as brands, which has only propelled him into the limelight as a mainstream photographer. Nevertheless, it appears as if this Los Angeles, California-based rising star has also been doing his best not to forget his roots, driving him to often to do some odd blue-collar jobs on a part-time basis.
Maren Carrere is Effectively Balancing Education and a Career
It was seemingly back when travel enthusiast Maren was still in high school that she realized she wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, driving her to evolve into an actress and a model. Little did she know it would soon result in her playing a significant role in ‘Calculated Risk,’ a web series for high school students by high school students to shine a real light upon what it means to come of age. Now, though, it appears as if this 18-year-old Los Angeles native is embracing every opportunity coming her way, all the while also attending the University of Rhode Island for her Bachelor’s degree. This is how she even went viral in the late summer of 2024 under the banner of Jubilee — she was one of the individuals to sit opposite political activist Charlie Kirk as they debated abortion rights.
Read More: Project Runway Season 17: Where Are The Designers Now?
