I am a researcher and social scientist working at the intersection of technology and coping. My research interests concentrate on the field of digital media and online coping, and in particular on computer-mediated communication among vulnerable groups. I am interested in the ways people experience and cope with stressors such as stigma, illness, and political violence through digital media and the role of digital affordances—how technologies are perceived and used—in online coping processes. My work includes studies on online communities for people with eating disorders, women with fertility issues, veterans with PTSD, surrogate mothers in Russia; digital intervention for homebound seniors during COVID-19; and online support in WhatsApp groups for families living in ongoing conflicts areas.
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I am a researcher at the Department of Social Work at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. I attended the Universiteit van Amsterdam for my BA and MA degrees and the Media School at Indiana University for my PhD degree in Communication Science.