I like reading and writing about methods, which may seem a very strange quirk, but I can ensure it is useful. I have never considered myself a method expert, despite teaching a qualitative method class where I played the role of the interviewee in fake student interviews in a way that was so funny, I … Continue reading Let’s talk about method!How to study digital contents and texts from social media

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood Marie Curie I have recently won a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship, something I am obviously bragging about a lot. Add to that I got a score of 98/100, I should feel good at least until my next article rejection. However, if I have to be completely honest, … Continue reading HOW TO WIN A GRANT – Marie Skłodowska-Curie ACTIONS

“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.”— George Bernard Shaw I am passionate about teaching. This is why I was very happy to gain the 2022 teaching award that is given yearly to two lecturers/professors in my department. That, and the fact that I won very few things in my life (I’m still proud … Continue reading TEACHING AWARD- TIPS FOR TEACHING

I am seven months pregnant. I did not intend to share pictures of my pregnancy or my baby on social networks, especially Twitter, that I usually use for “professional” reasons. It seems something very private and my pregnant belly might be mistaken for a clickbait or a cry for attention. But, truth is, I shared … Continue reading Pregnancy and academic precarity: why we need to change the system

And while Rogelio thanked his God, Xiomara was praying to hers (…) the one and only Paulina Rubio (Jane the Virgin, Episode 9, Netflix) My Catholic Italian grandmother used to light candles in the church for people. It was a kind and sweet gesture, we all agreed, but also a bit of an ongoing joke … Continue reading “I’ll pray for you”: Twitter, Facebook prayer button, and prayer apps

“When it comes to dressing well, American culture is so self-fulfilled that it has not only disregarded this courtesy of self-presentation, but has turned that disregard into a virtue. "We are too superior/busy/cool/not-uptight to bother about how we look to other people, and so we can wear pajamas to school and underwear to the mall.”― Chimamanda … Continue reading How to apply for a PhD in the US

"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be" (JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) One of the perks of my job is teaching. My favorite class ever in Rotterdam has been "Digital Media& Cultural Identities." There are several reasons why I loved it so much. First, because … Continue reading Digital Media and Cultural Identities: Course Syllabus

Like many of you, I watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix. I disliked it. The interesting part is that I agree with most of its main points, but I still disliked it. The main reason why I dislike it, is that I literally wrote a Ph.D. and a book about the Internet, I teach classes … Continue reading The Social Dilemma: A Short Guide to Criticize it

It could be worse. It could be raining (Young Frankenstein) Sometimes very exciting things happens. Since I am a simple person with a boring life, my incredibly exciting thing for 2020 was being invited as a keynote speaker for the ESA RN-14 Sociology of Religion conference in Groningen, "Religion and the Urban, Natural, and Virtual … Continue reading My Very COVID Keynote Now Available Online

I have recently wrote some articles surveying the state of religion and digital media. Something that I noticing doing it is that there is a lot of work done in English, about English-speaking countries, and more in generally about Christianity and Europe/US. I really felt I needed to broaden my horizons to other contexts, such … Continue reading CFP: Religion and Digital Media