Postdoctoral projects

Hilde Sakariassen: The Duality of Digital Technology for Inexperienced Media Users in a Societal Crisis (2021-2025)

This project investigates how inexperienced users, especially older individuals, experience the use of digital technology in their daily lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Internet access and the use of digital media are widespread in Norway. Most Norwegians are considered experienced and knowledgeable users of digital technology. However, there are segments of the population, particularly older adults, who have not fully embraced the digital lifestyle and still prefer other tools for communication and interaction. The restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic led to a sudden upheaval in daily life. The crisis resulted in increased use of digital services and technology, both as a substitute for social interaction and for everyday tasks. For parts of the population less accustomed to using digital technology, this transition was significant.

This study focuses on how older, less experienced users of digital media perceived the crisis, which in many ways forced society to rely on digital services and platforms. The project aims to uncover experiences and perceptions related to accepting and learning to use technology in daily life, as well as resisting digital technology during such a societal crisis.

Qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews and ethnography are employed in this study, taking a user-focused approach based on the experience of using digital technology in everyday situations. The project uses the COVID-19 pandemic as a framework to examine how less experienced users of digital media perceived the sudden changes in their daily routines and communication.

John Magnus R. Dahl: The Smartphone in Everyday Life (2021-2025)

I research how the smartphone is part of the daily lives of teenage boys and what the phone means for how they socialize with each other and present themselves. At the center of the research is extensive ethnographic fieldwork, where I have followed a group of teenagers both in their physical daily lives—such as at cafés, on buses, and at parties—and on various online platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. I also plan smaller interview and platform studies that stem from the overarching fieldwork. A central finding is that there are two main ways to use the smartphone: the foreign-oriented approach, where one actively seeks new friends and contacts through digital channels, and the familiar-oriented approach, where the internet is used to communicate with those one already spends time with at school and during leisure activities. Another finding is that masculinity, and how boys strive to present themselves as men, is highly significant for how they use smartphones and social media.

The project is part of the innovation center MediaFutures, and I also collaborate with NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) on method development through discussions about ethnographic methods. Additionally, I aim to establish channels for knowledge exchange where insights from my fundamental research can be useful in NRK’s efforts to be a vital part of young people’s lives during a period of significant technological changes and subsequent shifts in media usage.

Özlem Demirkol Tønnesen (2023-2027)

This project is part of the EU-funded Prepare project, which examines citizens’ networks for public affiliation. More information will be provided soon.

Katharina Wuropulos (2024-2027)

This project is part of the EU-funded Prepare project, which examines citizens’ networks for public affiliation. More information will be provided soon.