I study the benefits and risks of technology for relationships from a social psychology persepctive. I am interested in examining the types of relationships that people maintain online and how they use tools, like social media, to help them communicate with friends and family. More specifically, I have looked at how mobile phones can distract from friendship interactions. I have also examined how university students use Facebook to maintain and develop friendships during the transition to university. 

I am currently working on projects related to Instagram and emoticon usage in different cultures, LGBT relationships online, and the effects of social identity threat on cognitive processes. 

My future research projects will center on self-disclosure to large audiences and how this promotes feelings of power and anti-social behavior online. I will also continue my research on how cell phones can be so distracting during our face-to-face interactions and why we're so tempted to use them even when we know that they detract from our romantic and friendship interactions.