EIGHTH GRADE

By: Peeraya Rujjanavet 6280143

Apipol Petchkool 6280776
Praewa Suwannacheep 6181281
Wuttipong Sarawutvinai 6280168
Noppon Boonchan 6280743
Thanutcha Ngensopa 6280902
Harit Vatcharapichaipong 6280237
Key Theme: The extent to which social media has
spoiled one’s experience of growing up.
Discuss how the key themes are explored in the
following scenes/story ideas
A. Her Web Channel Video and Online Self.
Her online self is her source of escapism.
The scenes open up with Kayla doing her YouTube video talking about how to ‘be yourself’ she seems pretty
confident and do know what she is talking about. But as an audience we can see that that’s not what she is like in
school at all.
Which is what the movie is also trying to talk about. Social media can sometimes be use as an escapism for
somebody who has issues in real life.
There’s a lot of scene that she mindlessly scrolls through social media just to feel busy.
She talks about a lot of things on her YouTube channel that is related to self confidence or being social.
So her web channel may actually be the other version of herself, the version that she wishes or imagined that this
is her in reality. For example there’s one of her video where she talks about the pool party, she gives example by
using herself as a popular girl and talks about how that one weird girl may actually have something interesting to
say. This shows that actually what she really wants is for people to know the real her, but because it’s the internet
and it’s her own video, she can create any scenario that she wants.

We can also so see that the setups are all in her own room, this shows that she is more comfortable within her
own area and can be herself more.
 In this modern age, everyone is always on social media and
the influence of it is also very strong. Especially for a 14
years old girl like Kayla.

Social media
The internet may make us believe that people DO care
about you and how you look and that’s why you should do
something for someone out there to look at you.

influence her
For a example the scene that she gets ready, doing makeup
while watching YouTube tutorials only to go onto snapchat,
take a selfie and captioned it “I woke up like this..ugh”. It

identity.
may seem funny or cringey to us as an audience, but
actually this scene perfectly shows how internet culture
makes us think or behave.
So we can look at it as, the internet is a source that she can
get validated or get some acceptance from, so whatever
the internet trends told her to do, she just do it.
B. The middle school pool party
B. The middle school pool party
- In this scene, we see our main character joining the party uncomfortably.
Also, she lack confident. This is because internet made group of individual
popular due to his or her physical appearance. However, for our main
character, this feature of internet hurts her more than it helps her
because of her under average appearance.
C. The high school visit
C. The high school visit
In the beginning of the movie, she use a lot of social media because in her real life
she barely have friend. So, visiting high school is a chance for her to escape from her
ordinary life. When Kayla met her shadow, Olivia. She goes around the school with her
and tried to get along with the new environment even she did not understand when
Kayla conversation with her friend during lunch. Later, she still tried to reach out to
Olivia after their school tour which shows that she really need someone in her real life
than social media. This also revealed to the audience that Kayla can feel how
undermined her life is by social media, she then reach out for Olivia.

Sub - detailed from the scenes

When Kayla and her friend enter into high school, the scene shows a lot of contrast
between the middle schoolers and a high school students such as their cloths and the
different in height. The used of a high angle camera make the high school student looks
scarier in the eye of the middle school student.
Going out with new friends in the mall
Going out with new friends (in the mall)
Before seeing this scene, Instagram was
mentioned because Brian who is Tyler’s friend sent
a crop picture of Aniyah’s feet by using the direct
message of Instagram. This made Riley feel funny
as well. In this scene, Aniyah yelled at Riley, but she
claimed that it is just an adult tone. This also is the
beginning of talking between Kayla and Riley.

During this scene, Kayla is blamed by Tyler.

Tyler told that she is different generation with us, so
she may feel bored. Twitter and Snapchat which are
social media applications were also mentioned in
this part. He judges other people, who did not use
the same application during his age, were not wired
different like growing different his generation.
The summary of this scene
In this scene, the audiences will see these teens are
talking and gossiping about their own stories and their friends
while the social media become a part of their stories as well.
This can indicate that social media can shape the experience
of teenagers. Moreover, the characters are also talking about
the comparison of generation by using social media, which
means that social media also is the significant factor that can
judge the generation of teens
D. Going out with new friends (in the car)
D. Going out with new friends (in the car)
- After chatting with senior friends, Riley one of Olivia’s friends drove Kayla
and Olivia to drop at their houses. After dropped Olivia, Riley started
asking and playing “Truth or Dare” with Kayla and eventually Riley tried to
provoke Kayla in his car. As a result, because of unreadiness of Kayla, she
was confused with her decisions and finally said “No”. However, she felt
guilty and say sorry to Riley, but Riley said do not say sorry he just want to
help her to have the first moment.
- This scene highlighted one aspect of growing up, especially for
teenagers. It presented the danger of false friendship that can leads or
put oneself into a very unpleasant situations. However, the scene lightly
emphasize the extent to which one’s life has been spoiled by social media.
The fireside chat of Kayla and her father, Mark.
What about this scene
- From this scene, Kayla wanted to burn
her time capsule from 6th grade. The
scene also reveals the anxiousness of
Kayla that she could perhaps made
Mark sad.
What we See and Hear about this scene
- The key theme is revealed to the audience heavily by dialog from this
scene.
- “If she was like me, then being her mom would make me sad all the time”.
- This quotes showed Kayla’s worries that if one day she has a daughter, and her daughter
turned out to be like her, she would be sad all the time. The phrase “if she was like me” in this
case indicates Kayla’s behavior of prioritizing social media as the most important factor in her
life. As seen that Kayla likes to be on her phone all the time. She would also portray herself on
social media (instagram, and YouTube Channel) as one the cool and smart kids in school, which
is differs from her reality. Lastly, she would also use social media as a way to get her crush
(Aiden) by lying of her nude picture.
- The audience can then visualize how the internet has tainted Kayla’s experience of growing
up. It is to the extent that an 8th graders like Kayla can feel really unworthy of being Mark’s
daughter and it also demolished her 6th grades dream which is her ideal life (having boyfriend,
etc.)
Sub-details from this scene
- Light: Very dimmed as the setting of this scene is bonfire in the
backyard. This lightning could indicates Kayla’s sincerity about her life.
This then enhances the dramatic feelings of Kayla’s sense of regret about
her life that has been tainted by social media.
- Physical Appearance: Kayla usually bend down her face. This also
indicates a sense of her regret.