If you've never read this, or haven't revisited it in a while, today's a good day to remember it

My contract ends in August and I'm not sure what the future holds after that, so this is just a note to let people know that I'm open to work! I'm an experienced qualitative researcher with expertise in fandom (both the positive and negative elements), participatory culture and digital media.

one of the most comprehensive surveys on children’s use of AI--conducted March 18-26, 2026, among 9-17yr olds in the US (N = 1,204)--has been released www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/defaul... highlighting key findings 🧵 "Nearly 9 in 10 kids age 9 to 17 (86%) use/interact with AI"

Permanent, full-time Lectureship in Digital Culture and Society at UCL. Closing date 28 June www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

Are you a current university student aged 18+? Have you ever asked an AI tool for wellbeing advice? E.g., asked it questions about or for information on your own wellbeing? We'd love to chat! Fraser is funded by the Carnegie Vacation Scholarship and supervised by me! 📚 🤓 @frasercarey.bsky.social

SKILLS FOR SOLIDARITY! @uonucu.bsky.social are on an Assessment Boycott + related strike action. I am on externally funded leave and have no marking so I am raising fighting funds. Please share + donate! DM with proof of payment to redeem your item. Link here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...

I'm writing this having not heard the full speech, but this announcement, for me, just typifies where they're going wrong. The steel industry is TINY now. And this is the thing, there's no sense they understand what the country is actually like now, and what the progressive aspirations of people...

Good luck with AI without humanities, UK.

New paper with @casey-lynch.bsky.social on AI refusal, an introduction to our special issue on the topic. We examine cultural practices as potentially privileged, if messy and imperfect, sites of AI refusal. DM me for a PDF journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

I can't stop laughing at this post. It's perfect.

🚨What you won't read in the British media: on X, journalist @twelves.bsky.social has looked at Matt Goodwin's new book, Suicide of a Nation, and found that is packed full of fake quotes and material that appears to have been made up by AI.

Fully-funded AHRC Collaborative Doctoral PhD Studentship at UCL and the V&A: 'Invisible Hands: Migrant Labour and British Craft in the 18th Century' Ignore the 'top ten' hype; focus on the ace resources, environment and support. Deadline 15 April. #Skystorians

see? here's the thing. A lot of people are like, the earth is fucked, it's beyond salvation, it's hit the tipping point, but time and time again we see that if we just fucking fixed the problem, it rebounds so incredibly fast. Imagine what could be done if people actually cared

you are not prepared for the soundtrack

We are seeking two ambitious postdoctoral researchers to join the interdisciplinary Research Priority Area AI & Politics. 📅Deadline: 23 March 2026 🔗Read More: werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...

Join us! If you can't make that date, but would like to participate, get in touch with me - we might be able to arrange another/alternative session.

My Politics and Popular Culture class is updating itself this year

I don’t really pay attention to charges of doomerism. I don’t know what it means offline. I do know that refusing a version of how the future will unfold forecloses on the power that actually shapes that future. That’s not disavowing that tech changes are happening but they are in now a given.

We’re back with our research profile series! Next up is network member and PhD student @isabel-sykes.bsky.social who presented this research at MeCCSA 2025

Consultation closes Wednesday; please respond if you can.

Disturbingly detailed analysis of my first rewatch incoming

who is this diva

If anyone doubts how prescient and important the German Constitutional Court‘s 1983 decision on self-determination regarding information was - the US offers a powerful example of how things can go wrong

The thing which we all said was happening but apparently never was until it did

I think I might take one of these "under 20 minutes" AI skills courses the UK Govt. seems very keen on everyone doing and live-post it here... Maybe we can all learn something together! The press release sends me to aiskillshub.org.uk/aiskillsboost/ - let's go and see!

We cannot aim at Digital Sovereignty or even some degree of digital autonomy if both students and workers are trained to serve the interests of Big Tech. And they are influencing every curricula and capacity building program in private, public and social sector!

Sign-ups are currently FREE and OPEN for the next two seminars in the class-themed online seminar series I have been co-organising with fellow PhD student Samantha Dick. More info and how to sign up here: www.eventbrite.com/cc/techne-st...

work with me and @drdaveobrien.bsky.social as part of @creativepec.bsky.social! we're recruiting a postdoc to work on the arts, culture and heritage sectors using quantitative methods. please share, please feel free to email me directly with any Qs! jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Sheffiel...

The New World asked me to speak to some British trans women about what life has been like for them over the past few years - here's what they had to say, in their own words: www.thenewworld.co.uk/marie-le-con...

What's the story with AI? Find out at the next event in our Technomoral Conversations series, exploring AI narratives and counter-narratives! 🗓️ Wednesday 11 February 18.00-19.30 GMT 📍 Edinburgh Futures Institute & online 🎟️ edin.ac/3MZEm0a

DFG erlaubt Einsatz von KI in der Begutachtung. Wenn wir jetzt noch die AI dazu kriegen, die komplette Forschung zu machen, haben wir den Menschen komplett von der Last des Forschungsprozzeses befreit und er kann sich komplett auf wichtige Dinge wie Reisekostenerstattungsanträge konzentrieren.

Conducting sociological research on students and politics? Then do submit an abstract for our special issue of @bjse.bsky.social - deadline 1st Feb, and details below think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issu...

This is true and I was the only one on set excited about it (and playing the song on my phone to blank stares)

British Library staff asked for a decent pay. Instead they got ‘a few money-saving present ideas’, such as ‘consider not giving presents this holiday season’. They are on strike this week. I wrote about it for @lrb.co.uk. www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...

A reminder of our last writing group session for the year tomorrow!

It's revealing about taboos around racism that the visceral bullying racism of schoolboy Farage cuts through while the much more consequential thinly veiled racism of adult Farage doesn't. Many people need that veil and flinch when it's removed. You can advocate racist policies but not say the words

This is the most alarming story I’ve read today. Giving up the fight before it’s started

This is an absolutely cracking job for someone: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPN334/q...

I know folks love to pretend that 10 year wait for indefinite leave to remain doesn’t already exist, but it does and folks like me get stuck on it due to our time as students in this country. And I can tell you from experience, a 20 year wait is fucking indefensible.

My article for Celebrity Studies has gone live - Exposing Russell Brand: navigating allegations of sexual misconduct and appealing to the manosphere. Open access so fill yer boots. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

It's always a bit weird having a publication come out when the topic is in the news anyway, especially when it relates to the royals. If you're interested in the monarchy's relationship with celebrity, do have a look at my new article! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

It's always a bit weird having a publication come out when the topic is in the news anyway, especially when it relates to the royals. If you're interested in the monarchy's relationship with celebrity, do have a look at my new article! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

We are starting a Research Profile series to highlight some of the excellent work of our Network Members and Committee!

If anyone wants an article about what it is like to be in a hotel while applying for asylum (this is pandemic era but much still applies) then our article last year covers some of this from the perspective of those in the hotels

A reminder of our Writing Group this Wednesday! Sign up here: www.tickettailor.com/events/unive...

The German company that makes the mechanical ladder used in the Louvre heist has used the image to advertise, with the text 'When you need to move fast' 10/10 response, no notes

Want to do a (funded for UK students) PhD with me? If you're interested in games, posthumanism, avatars, affect, embodiment or any of the other stuff I do (or my colleagues do for that matter) take a look! www.bcu.ac.uk/research/doc... #PhDfunding #PhDstudentship #AHRC #DoctoralFunding #GameStudies

After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results: - AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2% - ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1% - ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%