There is no shortage of TV shows that dive deep into the weird wired world of social media, but F#Ck1Ng Social Media deserves credit for doing it effortlessly. You can tell the writers have an intimate knowledge of internet fame by how it contrasts has-been influencer Amanda with rising content star Vicky (Azul Guaita). Amanda’s realm is YouTube (a millennial staple) while Vicky’s is TikTok (a Gen Z haven). Amanda rose to fame because of her sincerity, while it was Vicky’s sleekness that first caught people’s eyes. Through their rivalry, the series shows us how swiftly social media evolves and how contradictory it can be—online, we’re both vulnerable and artificial, progressive and regressive. It’s a hefty message, but the show delivers it with an impressively light touch. Intense rivalry and fame commentary aside, F#Ck1Ng Social Media is also a quirky comedy and a touching family drama. There’s just as much to like here as there is to learn.
Amanda, a declining children's content YouTuber, has just turned 30, making her an elder of the internet. After realizing she is not good at anything else, and that attention from strangers is the closest thing she has to love, she will go to great lengths to regain relevance on social media, no matter the cost, and taking down whoever is in her way.
When 30-year-old Amanda (Paulina Gaitán) realizes she’s losing cachet to younger influencers, she comes up with a plan that will get her back in the social media spotlight.
For all its knowledge about how social network sites work, F#Ck1Ng Social Media relies on many analog transitions and props. The way it’s blocked and edited makes it seem like a play, which is an interesting choice. I’d say it adds to the show’s overall quirk and charm, but I do wish it employed more of the whizzy effects of social media, if only to match the show’s themes.
This is like a better and gutsier version of the iCarly reboot.
