Category: Communication
Exploring the positives of digital and social media
July 07, 2026 Written by CAS Communications Staff
Morgan Ellithorpe, associate professor in the Department of Communication has received a fellowship at the (CAIS). She will spend fall 2026 on sabbatical in Bochum, Germany, working on a systematic review of the known unknowns in positive media psychology of digital and social media use (DSM).
As DSM has transformed modern life, research on its influence has focused primarily on the negative impact. Ellithorpe鈥檚 research also examines the positive effects of DSM, as well as the ways that use might be either positive, negative or neutral depending on the individual and context.
鈥淎voiding negative outcomes is important, but so is actively fostering positive outcomes such as meaning in life, connectedness, and mental and physical health,鈥 she said. 鈥淭o the extent that DSM is here to stay, it is crucial to understand how DSM can be used for enhancing well-being and not just for reducing it.鈥澛
Her recent work has focused on DSM use by historically vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities, international students and girls who play video games, as well as how and when people engage with DSM.聽
In a 2025 consensus statement signed by more than 120 authors and researchers, two-thirds of experts said that the overall effect of DSM on youth cannot be stated as either positive or negative because it is dependent on the individual and context.聽
Identifying these research gaps will help develop a roadmap for researchers and policymakers moving forward.聽
Ellithorpe will collaborate with six other fellows who are working on topics including mental health messaging on social media, AI's role in sexual abuse and expressions of grief and war trauma online. The CAIS mission is to help shape a digital society with excellent research and provide fellows from different countries, subjects and academic stages of life the opportunity to pursue their projects and benefit from an intensive scientific exchange.