The Erasmus School of History, Culture, and Communication (ESHCC) at Erasmus University Rotterdam is excited to offer a challenging and innovative PhD position in impact, resilience, reaction and empowerment of the audiences of toxic entertainment.
Join us in this exciting project that will focus on the effects of toxic entertainment (TE, e.g., TikTok’s glorifying unhealthy relations and pertaining anti-consumerism or dark humour). For long research has focused on celebratory participation (e.g., fandom, brand love); however, the so-called ‘dark participation’ has received far less attention. Nevertheless, the seemingly entertaining messages potentially have toxic effects (e.g., reduced individual or relational wellbeing, brand/influence cancelling). We will study how different target audiences engage and react to TE, and how the creation of anti-TE empowers vulnerable persons. In addition, factors that protect or enhance those effects (e.g., fandom and loneliness) and contribute to building up resilience will be investigated.
Using a mixed methodological approach, the research project aims to focus on this TE and the hidden persuasive influence on attitudes and hate. By enhancing counter acts (e.g., anti-hate memes) the project aims to analyse whether, and how resilience against the impact of TE can be created.
Job description The successful candidate will be based at the Department of Media and Communication of the ESHCC and will carry out the following tasks:
Research (0.85 fte) - Conducting PhD research.
- Publishing and presenting research results in the form of articles in international peer reviewed journals and papers at international conferences.
- Writing a dissertation within the appointment duration of four years.
- Taking part in seminars, workshops etc. that are organized by the Erasmus Research Institute for Media, Culture, History and Society (ERMeCHS) as well as the Department of Media and Communication.
Teaching (0.15 fte) Performing junior teaching tasks in the BA degree programmes in the field Media and Communication provided by ESHCC, primarily through tutorial group teaching in the International Bachelor of Communication and Media (IBCoM).
Service Contributing to small management tasks of the department.