Annika Pinch, Ph.D.

Researching digital practices in everyday life

My name is Annika Pinch and I am an assistant professor at Hamline University in English and Communication Studies. In 2025, I completed my PhD in the Media, Technology, and Society Program at Northwestern University.

In my research, I focus on how individuals with stigmatized identities, such as LGBTQ+ people or those who are incarcerated, navigate and engage with social media platforms. I investigate how these individuals use social media to reveal their identity, connect with others, and resist stigma, while also facing risks like further stigmatization, harassment, and surveillance. My areas of expertise include:

  • self-presentation & self-disclosure online
  • visibility & surveillance on social media
  • stigma management & resistance
  • platforms & algorithms
  • marginalized communities, including queer & incarcerated populations

My research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as New Media & Society, Social Media + Society, Computers in Human Behavior, and the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction.