Krysten Stein, PhD

On NPR on Friday, there was a story of a 4-year-old--an American citizen--who hasn't left her house since early December, not even to play in the yard. And her 8-year-old brother recently stopped going to school, too. Their father is undocumented, and the family doesn't want to risk him being taken.

There are so many families in this city who are now one to two months behind on rent. We are trying our best with gofundme’s and various pooled resources but this would be so helpful, especially for the many families who don’t know who to ask or how to find the resources that are out there

The Powerpuff Girls in front of a rainbow heart background. It says “Sugar, spice, abolish ice.” The art is by hexreject.

Just so we’re clear!

If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.

Tell Congress: Freeze Funding for ICE! Congress has a critical government funding deadline on January 30th. It’s up to them to use it for good—by opposing additional funding for DHS without safeguards that rein in violent and lawless agent...

I just wrote a @theactionnetwork.bsky.social letter: Tell Congress: Freeze Funding for ICE!. Write one here: act.standupamerica.com/letters/lett...

Over 60 students protested the presence of Customs and Border Protection at the OSU career fair today. CBP, an agency of the Dept of Homeland Security, is closely associated with ICE. Three students were arrested.

Photo credit: Kyle Roberston, Columbus Dispatch. Link below.

Calling all humilitainment scholars:

I'm putting together a panel for the Canadian Communication Association's 2026 conference on humilitainment, pleasure, & media industries with @krystenstein.bsky.social and @jessmaddox.bsky.social.

We need 1 more panelist. Is this you? DM me by 11/24!

Say No to Trump’s “Loyalty Oath” Compact! Leaders at UC and across the country are facing federal interference that undermines the mission of higher education. Institutions of higher learning in the United States have been offered Trump’s “Co...

Academic freedom and democracy go hand in hand. The Trump “Loyalty Oath” Compact threatens both. UC must lead with integrity, not ideology—standing for inquiry, truth, and independence.

Sign and share! actionnetwork.org/petitions/9c...

#UCChooseIntegrity #DefendDemocracy #RejectTheCompact

teaching #OOTD 🌟

Universities attempting to stay out of the Trump admin's line of fire by being silent and doing nothing publicly to support faculty, staff, and students are going to find themselves with no faculty, staff, or students. Might as well grow a spine.

teaching #OOTD

Sitting With My Book (and Falling Behind Here) Notes From the First Chapter

What happens when therapy slips into the scroll — and care has to go viral?

Read here: open.substack.com/pub/glittera...

👀 New Substack post is up! I’ve been deep in re-reading my book manuscript (And How Does That Make You Feel? Theratainment and the Digital Commodification of Mental Health, UC Press, 2027). This week I’m sharing a peek at Chapter 1: Out of Network, Into the Algorithm.

for my media literacy students, we’re digging into her song “fuel”—breaking down how it critiques cultural power, consumerism, and the systems that decide what counts as “good” art. 🎶📚

nothing like blending fangirl joy with teaching practice—when your syllabus meets your soundtrack. 💜

✨ in honor of seeing one of my all-time faves, ani difranco, this week, i couldn’t resist bringing her into the classroom. ✨

I’m so stoked to join the incredible folks in the lab and continue building knowledge, community, and care together. Cheers to what’s ahead! 🥂

Kishonna has been a beacon of light and a true champion of mine ever since we first met back in 2019 at UIC in Chicago. Since then, we’ve published together, worked side by side, and become not just colleagues but friends.

Super pumped to share that I’m now a Research Affiliate in Dr. Kishonna Gray’s @kishonna.bsky.social brilliant Intersectional Tech Lab at the University of Michigan’s School of Information! 💻✨

As many of us people who study or work in tech tried to tell y’all, move fast & break things was always about POWER, not progress.

In many places in America, it's easier to buy a gun than it is to adopt a cat from a shelter.

one student told me he loved and appreciated that i asked them and included them in creating this. 💬 that reminder—that learning is co-created—was the best teaching moment of all.

today one of the most meaningful parts of class was setting our classroom community & culture guidelines together. i simply facilitated, but my students did the work—sharing, listening, and shaping the list we’ll carry with us all semester.

✨ teaching OOTD ✨

first week back. i am honored to be featured in UC Blue Ash News Notes this week, and even more excited to be in the classroom teaching intro to comm studies and media literacy.

today was my first day of year 14 teaching 🖤 with everything going on federally and here in ohio with sb1, it feels really difficult to show up. but i’m grounding myself in community and care, and doing the best i can for my students and those around me.

Trying Something New in the Classroom After 14 years of teaching, I’m centering care, community, and collective rigor.

I wrote about the why + the how here:
open.substack.com/pub/glittera...

Curious—what are y’all trying in your classrooms this fall? 🍎📚