[ecrea] CFP- International Conference 'Loneliness in the age of Mobile & Social Media'

CALL FOR PAPERS

International conference

‘Loneliness in the age of Mobile & Social Media’


Friday 23rd February 2018

University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom


KEYNOTES:


*Dr. Shakuntala Banaji, London School of Economics *

*Dr. Jennifer Lau, King’s College London *



With the Campaign to End Loneliness launched in 2011, the BBC 
documentary The Age of Loneliness (2016) and then the launch of Jo Cox’s 
Commission on Loneliness in January 2017, loneliness makes the headlines 
and dealing with it is generating intense debates in the UK. Loneliness 
is a prevalent serious problem in our society and is associated with 
various health problems (Cacioppo et al. 2002; Nummela, Seppanen, 
Uutela, 2010; Hawkley and Cacioppo, 2010; Luo, Hawkley, Waite, Cacioppo, 
2012). In recent years, loneliness has been associated with internet 
addiction (Durak-Batugün and Hasta, 2010; Esen and Siyez, 2011), mobile 
phone use (Oztunc, 2013), and mobile phone addiction (Jin and Park, 
2012; Reid and Reid, 2007; Takao, Takahashi and Kitamura, 2009; Wei and 
Lo, 2006; Tan, Pamuk and Donder, 2013).


Research conducted so far (Perlman, Gerson and Spinner, 1978; 
Salmela-Aro and Eronen, 1997; Cacioppo et al., 2002; Dykstra, 2009; 
Dykstra, van Tilburg, & de Jong Gierveld, 2005; De Jong-Gierveld and van 
Tilburg, 2010; van den Berg, Kemperman, de Kleijn and Borgers, 2015) 
shows that when discussing loneliness, the assumption is that we are 
talking about elderly people, usually ignoring young adults who also 
suffer from loneliness. According to Pinquart and Sorensen (2003), the 
prevalence and intensity of loneliness are in fact greater in young 
adults than in any other age group. Moreover, Victor and Yang (2012) 
argue that the extent of loneliness is U-shaped when mapped graphically 
against age, indicating that younger and older people have the highest 
risk of experiencing loneliness. Even so, to date, not much is known 
about loneliness in young adults. With the exception of only a few 
studies (Cacioppo, Hawkley, et al., 2006; Nicolaisen and Thorsen, 2014; 
Blachnio, Perpepiorka, Boruch and Balakier, 2015; Luhmann, Bohn, 
Holtmann, Koch and Eid, 2016), research in loneliness constantly ignores 
this demographic and fails to address loneliness that affects young people.


This conference aims to fill this gap in scholarship by also examining 
the causes and stories of loneliness among young people. As loneliness 
is something people are likely to experience at any age, this conference 
invites scholars to think about this widespread prevalent problem from 
innovative new perspectives. The conference is devoted to an examination 
of the current situation across the world from a variety of 
perspectives, and aims to identify and bridge the gaps in academic 
research on loneliness, creating new research pathways.


*** We welcome papers from established scholars and early career 
researchers and PhD students. The conference will have a separate 
section for early career researchers, PhD and master students.


We invite papers that engage with themes including (but not limited to):


- Loneliness and everyday life: stories of loneliness/ episodes of 
loneliness, media representations of loneliness; online and offline 
loneliness; political loneliness; linguistic and cultural loneliness; 
loneliness in later life; loneliness in young people; loneliness in 
children/adolescents; loneliness in men vs. loneliness in women; 
loneliness and violence; how can transitions increase the risk of 
loneliness (for examples: transition to university life, pre-retirement 
etc.); what works in tackling loneliness?; Impact on families, 
neighbours, friendship, local community.

- Research methods: qualitative vs. quantitative; loneliness scales; new 
methods of measuring loneliness.

- Health:  Loneliness, metal health and well-being; social isolation, 
depression, anxiety; loneliness and physical health; loneliness and 
terminal illness; loneliness and disability/students with special needs; 
loneliness and cognitive impairment, sight or hearing loss; preventing 
and alleviating loneliness; what support is in place/what resources are 
needed; social support, interventions and government policy.

- New technologies: loneliness and social media; loneliness and the use 
of mobile phones; digital divide; big data and loneliness; what 
technology/technology-based services can be adopted to identify and help 
(mhealth, telecare, telehealth)?; creative digital interventions.




*** Please send abstracts of no more than 500 words, along with your 
name, e-mail address, academic affiliation, and a short bio to: 
*(b.fox /at/ wlv.ac.uk) <mailto:(b.fox /at/ wlv.ac.uk)> *



Abstract submission deadline: *December 18th,, 2017*

Acknowledgment of acceptance: *January 10th,, 2018*

Registration deadline: *January 20th, 2018*

Conference dates: *February 23rd,, 2018*

Deadline to send the final full papers for publication: *May 28th, 2018*



The conference is organized by Dr. Bianca Fox and is funded through ERAS 
(Early Researcher Award Scheme), School of Media and the Centre for 
Film, Media, Discourse and Culture, University of Wolverhampton.


*No conference fee. Registration is a must. Participants will have to 
cover travel and accommodation. *


*** The conference’s programme includes a ‘How to publish’ workshop 
delivered by Routledge, the only publisher present at the conference.


***After the conference, a selected number of papers presented at this 
conference will be published as a special issue of a journal or as an 
edited volume.


We are looking forward to seeing you in Wolverhampton. For more 
information, please contact (b.fox /at/ wlv.ac.uk) <mailto:(b.fox /at/ wlv.ac.uk)>


---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please
use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at
http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------