Julia Coffey

Shock! 🙄 Australia's social media ban for teens was always impractical, untenable, and missed the point

Necessary reminder that literally every digital media expert in the country have been saying exactly this since this whole sorry ordeal started. None of this is a surprise.

‘Perfect bodies and perfect lives’: how selfie-editing tools are distorting how young people see themselves

Selfie-editing technologies are leading some young people to want to start altering their physical bodies.

‘Hang on, why am I editing my photos?’ Disrupting the virtual gaze through selfie-editing workshops - Julia Coffey, Akane Kanai, Amy S Dobson, Rosalind Gill, Niamh White, 2025 This article presents findings from a qualitative study that aimed to provide some of the first detailed accounts of how young people use selfie-editing apps, a...

‘Hang on, why am I editing my photos?’ Disrupting the virtual gaze through selfie-editing workshops - Julia Coffey, Akane Kanai, Amy S Dobson, Rosalind Gill, Niamh White, 2025 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Quit calling them hallucinations. Call it what it is: bullshit.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/chat...

AI Mode is obviously the future of Google Search The internet’s biggest search engine is going to be unrecognizable in just a few years.

Things that do not spark joy.
Or digital literacy.

AI Mode is obviously the future of Google Search
www.theverge.com/google-io/67...

3. Better understanding of these fleshed and digital dynamics are important for understanding the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery and normalization of “tweakment” procedures (see Gill, 2023); and the ever-intensifying pressures of self optimisation in contemporary socio-digital life.

2. Concepts of affect are useful for highlighting the complexities and tensions of contemporary digital life - which young people cannot simply opt out of, but must find ways to navigate.

In short:

1. Editing practices can be fraught and create a sense of 'jarring' or 'dissonance' between virtual and physical embodiment.

This is the first article from our 'youth and selfie editing practices' study.

We draw on @rcecoleman.bsky.social's concepts of images as virtuals to make sense of how young people see and know themselves through digitally mediated modification practices.

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Cinch, filter, erase: Virtual bodies and the editable self

@juliacoffey.bsky.social, Amy Dobson, Akane Kanai, Rosalind Gill, and Niamh White

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Cinch, filter, erase: Virtual bodies and the editable self - Julia Coffey, Amy Dobson, Akane Kanai, Rosalind Gill, Niamh White, 2025 Selfie-editing technologies (including in-phone editing tools, filters, and apps like Facetune) provide the ability digitally edit and “enhance” facial and body...

Cinch, filter, erase: Virtual bodies and the editable self

@juliacoffey.bsky.social, Amy Dobson, Akane Kanai, Rosalind Gill, and Niamh White

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Canberra people! @juliacoffey.bsky.social and I will be there Feb 17 and 18. On Monday we are presenting in the ANU Sociology seminar series on "Young people, platform practices & dimensions of the data gaze". Can register for in person or zoom here: sociology.cass.anu.edu.au/events/young...
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The Bad Guys Don’t Really Care What Kind of Leftist You Are Infighting is a waste of energy.

Love this from @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social about knitting together political projects through doing, and the limits of ideology as the basis for effective collective action. www.teenvogue.com/story/trump-....

So sad I missed this! It does look absolutely beautiful

If so many experts oppose a social-media age ban, why is the government intent on rushing it through? Labor has been at pains to say people won’t need digital ID or to hand over their passport – but there’s nothing in legislation preventing it

Here's my analysis on the rushing of the social media ban bill. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Live at the Port of Newcastle, it’s aquatic ecolarrikins vs gigantic fossil fuel death ships | First Dog on the Moon We’re just messing about in boats

Penguins! Kayaks! This cartoon has everything. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The government's analysis supporting the teen social media ban contains sweeping statements, repeated references and typos. It's also thin on evidence supporting the restriction of kids under 16 from social media, writes @cameronwilson.bsky.social.

Read it here: www.crikey.com.au/2024/11/25/t...

The government has introduced laws for its social media ban. But key details are still missing The ban will affect platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. But the bill is vague about how exactly these platforms must comply.

Some quick insight from me on the social media ban from me. In writing this I will also say hats off to @crikeynews.bsky.social, they are clearly one of the only news outlets that have done any real journalism around this awful policy and the road we've travelled. theconversation.com/the-governme...

Parliament to debate tough new social media laws - ABC listen Legislation to ban under 16s from social media will be introduced to Parliament today as the government confirms visual messaging app Snapchat will be covered. There'll also be fines of up to $50 mil...

Pleased to have a few minutes on AM this morning trying one last time to caution against rushing under-scrutinised Social Media Bans for Under16s through the Australian Parliament: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Live: Laws to ban social media for kids to be introduced tomorrow The federal government's legislation aims to get kids off social media by the end of the year. Follow live.

So, the day before the Australian government table legislation to Ban Under16s From Social Media, the government are still not able to say HOW ages will be verified. Mind boggling.

www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11...

Australian academic and civil society experts briefing federal politicians inside Parliament House. Screen capture from senator Pocock's Instagram feed.

A member of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, anti-bullying expert and co-founder of Project Rocket Lucy Thomas OAM, Prof Amanda Third (WSU), and Prof Dan Angus (QUT DMRC)

I was in Canberra yesterday alongside other digital media experts to brief members of the cross bench and government on some of the key policies being debated at present, social media bans, age verification, and misinformation. @qutdmrc.bsky.social

Youth studies starter pack! A work in progress - please send suggestions (and feel free to nominate yourself)

I miss our youth studies chat on the other place.... here we go! 💥

go.bsky.app/DbniWGw