Filmmaker Statement

As a young girl, the internet grew up alongside me. “Hanging out” became all about getting the perfect photo, my first romantic relationships started over SMS, and internet ads got sneakier year after year. Now in my early 20s, I numbly scroll through feeds of altered bodies, hyper-sexualized tweens, and posed “candid” photography. The line between fiction and reality is gone, and the effects are palpable. I dig through profiles and watch eating disorders develop in real time, pinpoint a “rebranded,” or spot the day when smiles got replaced by a sexy pout. As someone addicted to my phone, I’ve grown increasingly frustrated by the toxic implications these platforms have on young women, especially those of us who downloaded these apps in middle school before advertisers got involved. While I can’t reform the internet on my own, I made Adwall to release frustration, poke fun at our ridiculous reality, and hopefully find others who share my concern.