Terminally online: A Symposium on Vibes

“And if you gaze for long into an algorithm, the algorithm gazes also into you”

On social media, "vibes" are increasingly shaping how we navigate our online experiences. These carefully curated "aesthetic feelings" are amplified by algorithms, tapping into our emotions. In this symposium, we will explore how new forms of ambient media, such as ASMR, Femcel Pinterest moodboards, and Spotify mood playlists, are influencing online culture and politics.

Date: 25 April 2025
Time: 15:00 -18:45
Location: BG 3
Room: VOX-POP, ground floor

We will delve into the affective and sonic turns in media studies and discuss how researchers can engage with these non-verbal and subconscious aspects of digital sociality. The symposium is organized by the Terminally Online initiative with (r)MA students from Media Studies.

Programme Overview

14:45 - 15:00 walk-in
15:00 - 15:15 Introduction
15:15 - 16:00 Keynote “The Vibes are Immaculate” by Dr. Ludmila Lupinacci, Lecturer in Digital Media, School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds.
16:00 - 16:15 Break: Mood-tuning media exhibition
16:15 - 17:00 Mood/Vibe Curation Activity
17:00 - 17:15 Break: Mood-tuning media exhibition
17:15 - 18:00 Student presentations
18:00 - 18:45 Closing panel

Sign-up here!

Keynote Speaker dr. Ludmila Lupinacci

Dr. Ludmila Lupinacci (she/her) is a lecturer in digital media at the University of Leeds (UK). She holds a PhD in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE, 2022). Her work on topics such as liveness, algorithmic temporality, and mindless scrolling has been published in leading journals such as New Media & Society and Media, Culture & Society. Her research interests include critical approaches to social media in everyday life and phenomenology of mediation, and she is currently studying the platformisation of cultural feelings such as moods and ‘vibes’.