March 11, 2026
Community Outreach
The Social Media Lab (SML) has been engaging in community outreach lately. SML Manager Isabelle McLeod Daphnis, with former SML Postdoctoral Associate Ellen Zou, participated in the Adult Training & Development Network’s Digital Learning Day, where they delivered a talk titled “Building Digital Confidence: Social Media TestDrive and Beyond.” Their recorded lecture showcased and explained how Social Media TestDrive uses simulated social media scenarios to help learners practice social media use, spot misinformation, and reflect on digital footprints without real-world risk. It was geared toward how educators can use it for adult learners.
Graduate student, SML member, and Science & Agriculture Libraries Head of Instruction and Research Initiatives Ashley Shea gave a talk titled, “Social Media and Young Minds: The Shifting Landscape” to Project S.W.I.P.E. (Student Wellness and Informed Personal Education), a community project of the Thomas R. Grover Middle School of West Windsor, NJ. She presented her research on manipulative features of digital technology and the ensuing trial in California against tech giants accused of enabling social media addiction in children.
Events
REMINDER: Join us for COMMColloquium Monday, March 23, 2026, 3:00 pm, in 102 Mann Library Building. Graduate student Bya Rodrigues will present “Resisting Networked Misogyny: Platformized Activism, Care Infrastructures and Algorithmic Visibility.” The colloquium is followed by a reception located in The Hub of the Department of Communication.
Media Coverage
Professor Katherine McComas was quoted in the Cornell Daily Sun article, “‘Scientific Thinking Belongs to Everyone’: Rush Holt on Science and Politics,” which covered a campus talk by former U.S. Congressman and physicist Rush Holt on the relationship between science, public trust, and democracy. During a panel discussion following the talk, Katherine emphasized the importance of building relationships between scientists and the public, noting that scientists must “do the hard work of being on the ground and forming relationships” to better understand community challenges.
Professor Jeff Niederdeppe was quoted in the NBC News article, “Echoing RFK, Dr. Casey Means Softens Her Social Media Persona in Surgeon General Bid,” which examines Dr. Casey Means’s Senate confirmation hearing and the contrast between her previously outspoken social media commentary and the more measured tone she adopted while testifying before lawmakers. Jeff noted that it can be difficult to know whether to take such statements at face value.
Grad student Ashley Shea was recently recognized for her expertise on the social media addiction lawsuit in the news article titled, “Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial Raises Questions over Online Safety,” published by Scot Scoop, the news site for the Carlmont High School in Belmont, CA.
Publications
D. Freed, M. Sharko, R. Kim…Professor Natalie Bazarova, L. Goldkind, October 2025, “Sociotechnical Challenges in Implementing Domestic Violence Screening via Telehealth and In-Person Care: Qualitative Study on Clinicians’ Perspectives,” Journal of Medical Internet Research.
This study aimed to explore the challenges health care providers face in implementing domestic violence (DV) screening that complies with NYSPHL§2805-z to support effective screening practices. Considering both the telehealth and in-person environment, the authors aimed to identify the challenges that health care providers face in meeting policy requirements, with a focus on the technical, environmental, and social factors impeding effective DV screening. They also explored potential sources of support to address these challenges. This study also sought to provide actionable insights for enhancing policy implementation and improving care for DV survivors.
Professor danah boyd & C. Liu, April 2026, “The State’s Politics of ‘Fake Data’,” ACM CHI 2026.
All data are fake, but some are useful. In this paper, the authors argue that “fakeness” of state data is relational (context dependent), processual (emerging through workflows), and performative (brought into being through labeling and practice). The paper is based on two ethnographic studies—one in the U.S. and one in China.
