Last Wednesday, I successfully defended my PhD!🎓 Thank you to my supervisors @steveneggermont.bsky.social and @kathrinkarsay.bsky.social and the jury and chair: @adrianmeier.bsky.social, @desireeschmuck.bsky.social, Mariek Vanden Abeele, @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social, and @laraschreurs.bsky.social✨

@lisemarienassen.bsky.social spoke with @vtmnieuws.be about a Harvard study showing that social media detox can benefit well-being 🎥 youtube.com/shorts/7CJ59... With @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social she also discussed teens' disconnection habits in @standaard.be 📰 www.standaard.be/binnenland/l...

The 15th annual Communication & Technology / Mobile Doctoral Consortium is seeking volunteers to be mentors at #ICA26 in Cape Town. Faculty from all ranks are welcome. CAT/Mobile membership is not required, but faculty should be aligned. sites.google.com/view/2026ica...

Slowly worked through the jetlag, and looking back at an awesome #ica25! It was amazing to reconnect with our disconnection collective, organizing a workshop together at @icamobile.bsky.social precon, to present two of my recent studies at the main conference, and co-chair a session! What a ride 🤩

Hi #ICA25 students & early-career scholars! 🎓 We've built a "Student Track" just for you! Find it in the ICA app: Schedule -> More Filters -> Tags -> Student Track. From your friends at the Student and Early Career Advisory Committee (SECAC), we can't wait to see you there!

A brief fire alarm break had us enjoying the great weather, but we’re back! 🔥 Now, a workshop on digital disconnection policy! #ICA25 #MobileComm

Join the Mobile Division's Student + Early Career Scholar Lunch at #ICA25! On Saturday at 1:30pm (14 June), we will meet at the Big Blue Bear sculpture 🐻, stop for food at Target 🎯 + chat at Sculpture Park 🛝 Fill out this form for the calendar invite: beav.es/NR7 @icasecac.bsky.social

As Osaka #EXPO2025 begins, discover research from @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social & the @mediapsychologylab.bsky.social from across 🇧🇪 🇫🇷 🇸🇮 exploring the impact of #SocialMedia pressures on identity & #TeenMentalHealth 👉 t.co/4lygsGIirl 👉 t.co/MF7hUd6WLW #WorldExpo2025 #DigitalWellbeing #EUatExpo

Looking back, I had the best time in Columbus during my research stay at The Ohio State University. 🤩 I'm very grateful for the inspiring experience, so a big thank you to @joebayer.bsky.social, The Ohio State University School of Communication, @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social!

Last week marked the end of @lisemarienassen.bsky.social’s 6-week research stay at the OSU School of Communication where she collaborated with @joebayer.bsky.social's Mobile Social Cognition Lab.📱This stay fostered collaborations on perceptions of social media use, addictiveness, and disconnection.

Does taking a temporary break from social media truly impact our well-being? Discover the answer in our meta-analysis, now published in Scientific Reports 🎉: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Explore our publications from January and February 📚(soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/med...) on: 1. Prevention interventions 2.Environmental influencers 3. Online dating 4. Nutrition misinformation 5. Pornography & sexual health 6. Sexual identity 7. Body image 8. Digital media effects 9. Alcohol

Last weekend, our lab participated in KU Leuven Inside, celebrating 600 years of KU Leuven🎉 We presented our research on digital media's effects in a smartphone use expo📱 & our professors @steveneggermont.bsky.social, Kathleen Beullens, & @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social delivered 600-second lectures👩‍🏫

Studying Flemish adolescents' use of disconnection eg tools screentime tracker, @lisemarienassen.bsky.social @kathrinkarsay.bsky.social @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social @laraschreurs.bsky.social find it shaped by lived experiences including developmental stages, gender roles & well-being bit.ly/3QiByt7

We hope you have enjoyed our presentations at #Etmaal2025. This year, we presented a record number of papers. Check out the full list on our website. Interested in knowing more? Feel free to reach out! soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/ove...

Follow social scientists at KU Leuven. go.bsky.app/AKcqGke (pack still incomplete, pls send suggestions)

It’s a wrap on #Etmaal2025, organized by the Communication Department KU Leuven! It was inspiring to hear so many great discussions and to present our work. Huge thanks to all speakers and participants!

Important 🚨 we are currently missing about 9 of our rented table lamps as well as photobooth attributes. Can we kindly ask to bring these back or drop them off at the registration desk. #etmaal2025

We can't believe it! it's already over! #Etmaal2025 went by like a whirlwind! Thanks to all presenters, chairs, attendees for making this an amazing edition! We hope you have a safe trip home! See you next year at #Etmaal2026 in Papendal (Arnhem) hosted by Wageningen University!

And last but not least the best paper award for Tijdschrift voor communicatiewetenschap. This award goes to Lucie Wittner Franckx. Time to celebrate at the party.

Happy to have presented the validation process of the Motivations for Social Media Disconnection (MSMD) scale in a great #Etmaal2025 disconnection & well-being panel! Also a shoutout to my co-authors Annabell Halfmann & @kathrinkarsay.bsky.social!

That's a wrap for day 1 of #Etmaal2025, at least for the parallel sessions ;) Time for a little break, so you can check in to your hotel! We'll meet again in one hour, at 19h it's time for dinner and award ceremony in the catering area (level 4). See you soon!

What is that we hear? It's the coffee alarm going off loudly ⏰! Time for a nice 30 minute break before we return to levels 2&3 for our last parallel sessions of #Etmaal2025 day 1!

Important alert: our first coffee break of #Etmaal2025 is happening right now ☕️! Join us in the catering area on the 4th level and meet up with some colleagues over your first coffee!

Today is the day! We are excited to share that #Etmaal2025 is kicking off and registration is open! Any questions during the conference? You can recognize the KU Leuven organizing staff by their light blue lanyard, so don't be afraid to ask them your questions (big or small)!

Hi fellow Bluesky-ers, this is the place to be! Bluesky will be our platform of choice for all #Etmaal2025 updates. Be part of the Etmaal Bluesky community during the conference by using our hashtag #Etmaal2025!

#Etmaal2025 starts tomorrow! Here’s what you need to know: 🕣Registration: from 8:30 on 🗣️Preconferences: 9:30–11:30 ☕️Welcome coffee: 11:00–11:50 (Level 4) 🎤Conference kick-off (keynote): 11:50 (Auditorium) 📄Programme: https://buff.ly/4giJ0zf or app

Let the countdown begin!! ⏱️ #Etmaal2025

Our disconnection project won a top paper #award at the @rezfo.bsky.social media use and effects conference last week! 🎀✨🪩 Happy times with my coauthors @klingelhoefer.bsky.social @adrianmeier.bsky.social ➡️ Find the preprint of the study at osf.io/preprints/ps...

⏳ Reminder: Just 4 days left to register for #Etmaal2025 at the regular fee! As of the 27th of January, all rates go up for last-minute registrations. So make sure to register! More details here: etmaal2025.org/registration/

📚We're thrilled to share our latest studies on: 1️⃣Social Media & Depression 2️⃣Adolescents’ Social Media (Dis)connection 3️⃣Sexually Explicit Content & Unwanted Behavior 4️⃣Sexting Among Youth 5️⃣Cross-Cultural Sexual Desire 6️⃣Influencers & Politics 7️⃣Online Hate Speech soc.kuleuven.be/smc/news/med...

As 2024 wraps up, a big thanks to all of you for the inspiring moments—conferences, collaborations, policy work, and more! Wishing everyone a restful holiday & a vibrant start to 2025! 🎉 Exciting news: our lab name has changed to the Media Psychology Lab, better reflecting our evolving mission.

Thrilled to be part of this special issue on disconnectivity by @cogitatiomac.bsky.social that explores the various angles of disconnection. Big thanks to my co-authors @kathrinkarsay.bsky.social @lauravandenbosch.bsky.social & Lara Schreurs!