QUT Digital Media Research Centre

I argue, with co-author Amy Schoonens that TikTok makes learning about books and reading available to teens on an unprecedented scale. Our new article in Social Media and Society is available to anyone via open access now. We extend the well established idea of media pedagogies to include ‘peer pedagogies’ and demonstrate how three #BookTok creators undertake considerable labour to ‘teach’ about books and reading in more and less formal ways.

Online safety, the future of cinema, and the digital life of children are the timely topics being tackled by academics from the QUT Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) at the 2024 Woodford Folk Festival.

Protecting your online identity is a skill that everyone needs to learn – even young children. The Stories by Digital Children competition is a chance for children to submit ideas for a children’s storybook based on the theme, "Getting the balance right: You decide what you share." Competition winners will work with children’s author Kim Maslin to create a published version of their story. Find out more at https://lnkd.in/gkfWc8ie #storybook #competition #digitalcitizens #children #socialmedia

Three projects from QUT (Queensland University of Technology) Digital Media Research Centre researchers have been awarded a combined total of more than $1.75 million in the latest Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Projects scheme. The ARC Discovery Projects scheme aims to expand knowledge base and research capacity in Australia, as well as economic, commercial, environmental, social and/or cultural benefits. Congratulations to DMRC researchers Professor Amanda Lotz, Professor Anna Potter, Association Professor Stephen Harrington, Associate Professor Michelle Riedlinger, Professor Peta Mitchell, Distinguished Professor Jean Burgess, Dr Aaron Snoswell, and Dr Naomi Barnes. DMRC Director Professor Daniel Angus said the success in this round was a reflection of the Centre’s ongoing research excellence. Funding has been awarded for projects from multiple DMRC Research Programs. The details of the three funded projects are: Understanding Twenty-First Century Media Uses and Purposes ($898,289) Investigators: Professor Amanda Lotz; Professor Jonathan Gray; Professor Anna Potter; Associate Professor Stephen Harrington; Professor Sonya Dal Cin. Generative AI and the future of academic writing and publishing ($512,091) Investigators: Associate Professor Michelle Riedlinger; Professor Peta Mitchell; Dr Jake Goldenfein; Distinguished Professor Jean Burgess; Dr Aaron Snoswell. Curriculum, resources and teachers’ work ($343,172)  Investigators: Associate Professor Anna Hogan; Dr Naomi Barnes; Professor Greg Thompson. Congratulations to our DMRC researchers and their outstanding contribution to Australian and global research! Read more here 👉 https://qut.to/trdar #QUTResearch

The QUT Digital Media Research Centre has made a submission to the inquiry into the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024. While its stated goal of reducing harm to young people is laudable, the proposed bill is fundamentally flawed. It has critical shortcomings in definitions and a flimsy evidence base. It will rely excessively on ministerial discretion to determine which platforms are subject to, or exempt from, the obligations, and it will be impossible to enforce. Moreover, it directly contradicts the findings and recommendations of the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society’s final report Social media: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The report did not recommend an age-based ban. Additionally, it recommended that any regulation impacting young people should be “co-designed with young people.” We strongly recommend the committee reject this bill in its current form. A far more extensive process of draft formation, stakeholder consultation, and expert feedback is needed. Read our submission for more details #QUTResearch

Join us today for the final DMRC Visitor Seminar for the year, led by visiting fellow, Dr. Matti Pohjonen, from HSSH University of Helsinki 📚

Join us at the upcoming DMRC Visitor Seminar, led by visiting fellow, Matti Pohjonen, from HSSH, University of Helsinki, who will be delving into the promises (and perils) of new digital methods for understanding the “context” of digital politics in global and comparative contexts. 📅 Date: Thursday 21 November, 2024 🕐 Time: 12:30pm – 2:00pm 🗺️Location: KG-Z9-607, Level 6, Kelvin Grove Campus, and virtually via zoom. For more information, including a detailed abstract, please refer to the link here 👉 https://qut.to/dreie #QUTResearch

A reminder to join us today at the upcoming DMRC Visitor Seminar, led by visiting fellow, Prof. Ines Engelmann from the Institute of Communication Science at the University of Jena, Germany. In this seminar, Ines will delve in to Digital Media and Democratic Legitimacy: Conceptualising Legitimacy-related Media Content Features and its Effects on Citizens’ Perceived Democratic Legitimacy. 📆 Date: Thursday 7 November 🕓 Time: 10:30am – 12:00pm 📍 Location: QUT Kelvin Grove Campus, Z9-607, or join via zoom. For more details, including a details abstract, please see link 👉 https://qut.to/yeawr #QUTResearch

The QUT Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) is proud to return to the 2024 Woodford Folk Festival for a third consecutive year, bringing insightful panels and an interactive experience that engage critical questions about our digital lives. Join DMRC’s experts in exploring key topics, from online safety and moviegoing in a digital age to the evolving digital lives of children at the Arbour; 🗣 The 5W’s of Online Safety (29 Dec) with Lucinda Nelson, Benson Rajan, Dr Ehsan Dehghan & Prof. Daniel Angus 🗣 Living Cinema (31 Dec) with Dr Ruari Elkington & Dr Mark Piccini 🗣 The Kids Are Alright (1 Jan) with Dr Aleesha Rodriguez, Philippa Amery & Prof. Daniel Angus For the first time, DMRC will also host a ‘Data Donation’ stall 📲, where festival-goers can gain new insights into their own personal digital data. This stall, created in collaboration with the Australian Internet Observatory, offers a unique opportunity for participants to explore how data shapes personal and collective digital identities. The experience will culminate in a live, growing display – the Tree of Data – visualising how individual digital choices contribute to a broader cultural narrative across the festival. Read the full media release here 👉  https://qut.to/rariw #QUTResearch