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Blake Hallinan | The Smart Family Institute

Blake Hallinan

 

I am a senior lecturer in the Department of Communication and Journalism. Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher on the ERC-funded DigitalValues project directed by Prof. Limor Shifman and I received my PhD from the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Boulder in May 2019. My research examines how technologies such as ratings, reviews, engagement metrics, and recommendation systems shape cultural notions of value and worth. I study these processes through the analysis of 1) platforms, 2) user-generated content, and 3) public controversies. My analysis of infrastructure investigates both how digital platforms measure and act upon notions of value and how people navigate metrics and algorithmic governance in return. My analysis of user-generated content treats posts shared to social media as little assertions of value  —  a claim that "this matters" or "this is important to me"  — and identifies patterned forms of engagement like genres or social media rituals. Finally, my analysis of public controversies like the Facebook Emotional Contagion focuses on the platform values, norms, and expectations that often go unspoken.

Research Interests

Algorithmic culture
Digital labor
Evaluation
Social media

Selected Publications
Awards
  • Top Faculty Paper in the Visual Communication Division, International Communication Association (2021)
  • Top Student Paper in the Philosophy, Theory, and Critique Division, International Communication Association (2019)