What did we learn amid unfounded fears about Momo? After the viral spread of the Momo Challenge in recent weeks, I talked to Mark O’Flynn in RTÉ about why it went viral, how media, schools and police organisations exacerbated the problem, and how a lack of media literacy caused parents to overreact. Read the piece...

January 25th & 26th 2019. Südpol Lucerne, Switzerland. aha is a new science festival in Lucerne, Switzerland. The board of trustees have 20 interesting questions on a broad range of topics that they have invited experts to answer. I was invited to answer the question “how do dating platforms decide whom I date?” Luzern, Südpol Aha Festival © Franca Pedrazzetti www.pedrazzetti.com Luzern, Südpol Aha Festival ©...

Alexandra Bröhm Before my talk on online dating at the aha festival in Lucerne, I spoke with Alexandra Bröhm in the Tages-Anzeiger (most subscribed to newspaper in Switzerland) about how people present themselves in online dating, what they lie about, what works well in a profile, and some of the difficulties we have in finding out what people are really like from their profiles and chatting online. You can read the interview here (PDF...

Are we getting close? A debate on intimacy in the digital age. January 17th. 6pm. Paccar Theatre in the Science Gallery, Dublin. How do we find intimacy in the 21st century? Can technology help us to fundamentally fulfil our desire for connection, or are we ultimately re-programming ourselves for future loneliness? The panel consisted of myself, Dr Jamie Saris, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology at Maynooth University, Dr. Kris Gowen, sexuality...

TG4  |  Náire: a documentary about online shaming A documentary looking at victims who have been shamed online and exploring the devastating consequences it had on their lives. I contributed to the programme talking about what revenge porn is, and how romance scammers use our own psychology against us.   Watch it on the TG4 player until January...