My dissertation bridges scholarship in sociology and human-computer interaction (HCI) by examining digitally mediated motherhood, or the ways social media shapes women's expectations, experiences and aspirations for becoming mothers. More specifically, I study the role of algorithms in transforming contemporary landscapes of motherhood.
Using in-depth qualitative interviews with postpartum women, I study how women use TikTok to make sense of their new identities as mothers, build a sense of social connection, and develop mothering practices that ring true for them.
Committee: Dr. Paige Sweet (Chair), Dr. Elizabeth Armstrong, Dr. Karin Martin, Dr. Nicole Ellison
This work is funded by the National Science Foundation and CEW+ at the University of Michigan.