Pantry porn is a mashup of infotainment, how-to, lifestyle content and ASMR, a form of sound-driven content intended to relax viewers. Influencers film themselves shopping for supplies, prepping food, refilling containers, and organizing their pantries – often coupled with hashtags like #pantryrestock, #pantryASMR, and #pantrygoals. How did the perfectly organized pantry become so ubiquitous in the digital age? And what does it say about the expectations of being a good homemaker?

By Jenna Drenten; originally published in The Conversation; republished via LA Times, Yahoo! News, Salon, and others.

West Elm Caleb. Bama Rush. Gabby Petito. Couch Guy. These stories represent the emergence of what I call the “TikTok tabloid,” in which users collectively manufacture and dramatize stories like an investigative gossip reel. Traditional tabloids place the lurid limelight on celebrities and public figures. But the TikTok tabloid targets everyday people.

By Jenna Drenten; originally published in The Conversation; republished via Yahoo, Fast Company, The Next Web, Salon, Heavy, and others.

The internet ushered in new ways of raising money, particularly with the rise of crowdfunding. But making appeals for cash on social media represents an entirely different phenomenon.

By Jenna Drenten; originally published in The Conversation, republished via Yahoo, Fast Company, Quartz, and others; mentioned in VOX.

Increasingly outlandish gender reveal parties align perfectly with the values of an economy that's always scrolling for the next best thing.

By Jenna Drenten; originally published in The Conversation, republished via CNA, Chicago Sun-Times, Houston Chronicle; mentioned in ABC News.

In order to really understand the rise of the influencer industry, we also need to understand other trends that have arisen alongside it, including the mainstreaming of pornography, or ‘pornographication’, and a shift in the role of consumers to workers.

By Jenna Drenten, Lauren Gurrieri, and Maegan Tyler; originally published in Sociology Lens.

A study of Instagram influencers has found most employ a highly sexualised aesthetic drawn from mainstream adult film. And many are subject to sexual harassment, ranging from aggressive comments to physical threats.

By Jenna Drenten, Lauren Gurreri, and Megan Tyler; originally published in The Conversation, republished via mUmBRELLA, CNA, and others.

With the surprise meticulously planned, all eyes – and lenses – turn to the kids. All they have to do is react as expected: overjoyed. So why don’t they?

By Jenna Drenten; originally published in The Conversation, republished via Mashable, SFGate, Houston Chronicle, and others.

The ritual might seem strange, but a sociologist spent eight years studying it – and found that there really is a therapeutic benefit.

By Jenna Drenten; originally published in The Conversation, republished via Tonic by VICE, Yahoo, and others.

The ‘bikini bridge’ may have been a hoax, but its damage to women’s body image was real, demonstrating yet again the disturbing set of pressures social media places on young women.

By Jenna Drenten and Lauren Gurrieri; Originally published in The Conversation; Republished via ABC, stuff.co.nz, NZ Herald, SBS, and others.