Research

Parenthood, technologies and wellbeing

My current work is positioned as an interdisciplinary and policy-relevant space where media technologies, sociology, communication and cultural studies interface with parenthood, health and well-being. In this space, I converge my interests in media and evolving technologies, maternal health, family relationships, e-health and parent/patient discussion platforms, public engagement with families and healthcare policy. Some highlights here include 

1. My newly funded Wellcome Trust project (2018-2019) on the health communication practice of South Asian migrant mothers with postnatal mental health difficulties; 
2. My newly funded (Surrey - FASS funded) project with Paul Hodkinson on new fathers, mental wellbeing and social media technologies
3. My just concluded British Academy project (2016-2018) investigating  digital technologies and women's peri-natal experiences in the UK - looking at apps, forums, social networking sites, vlogging sites and other areas 
4. A forthcoming research monograph with Routledge on the above titled The internet and maternal wellbeing (Routledge, 2019), and related journal articles.

Audiences, users and emerging technologies in communications research

I have a longstanding interest in empirical explorations of people's everyday engagement with media and evolving communication technologies. Beginning with empirical work with media audiecnes of a range of formats and genres, I have developed a particular focus on everyday experiences of, and emerging literacies with networked technologies with a growing interest in newer interfaces including the IoT and datafication, more generally. This work is located within my ongoing interest in users and audiences in my past projects, spanning a variety of media genres.

1. My most recent work here includes directing CEDAR - a 29 member team which conducted a foresight analysis exercise on the future of audiences' engagement with media technologies in the context of the IOT and datafication in 2030. This work was funded by the AHRC, UK, and has led to a range of publications as below, including a forthcoming book with Palgrave Macmillan (jointly with Brita Ytre-Arne).
2. In the past, my work has included young people's digital literacies on social media
3. People's reception of television and film genres
4. Public reactions to 'offensive' television content (my new book Provocative Screens with Anne Graefer, Palgrave) and people's regulatory expectations,
5. Conceptual developments in communication research in the transformation of audiences to users.