Professional Summary
Dr. Krysten Stein (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English & Communication at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College. She earned her PhD in Communication and Media Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, with concentrations in Gender and Women’s Studies and Black Studies. She previously completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with minors in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and a Master of Arts in Communication with a graduate certificate in Film and Media Studies, both from the University of Cincinnati.
Employing qualitative and ethnographic methodologies, including interviews, participant observation, and analysis of textual and visual materials, her research examines the sociocultural dimensions of reality TV and social media, with a focus on representation + identity, production + political economy, and health + wellness.
Originally exploring identity representations in television, Krysten expanded her focus to social media platforms. Her dissertation investigated the phenomenon of TikTok Therapy, focusing on how licensed mental health practitioners use the platform to create and disseminate content. It explored the motivations behind content creation, the strategies employed to establish credibility and authenticity, and the impact of TikTok's platform politics on the quality and educational value of mental health content. By examining these aspects through a critical lens of neoliberalism, the dissertation provides an understanding of the dynamics at play in the intersection of TikTok and mental health.
Krysten’s research has been published in various academic journals such as Feminist Media Studies, Gender & Society, The International Journal of Communication, Queer Studies in Media & Popular Culture, The Popular Culture Studies Journal, and ACM CHI. Furthermore, her work has garnered attention in popular media outlets, including The Guardian, Business Insider, CNN, and Feminist Book Club. She has also shared her research findings at both national and international conferences, such as The International Communication Association (ICA), The Association for Internet Researchers (AoIR), The Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), and Console-ing Passions.
Active in various roles within the field, she currently serves as the Social Media Editor for Feminist Media Studies and was a UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (c2i2) Dissertation Fellow. She is also a Global Member of The TikTok Cultures Research Network and was the Student and Early Career Representative for ICA’s Popular Media and Culture division.
As an educator, Krysten embodies an innovative and critical pedagogical approach. She integrates theories and concepts into real-life contexts, fostering a deep excitement for learning and nurturing her students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. With over a decade of teaching experience, she has instructed a diverse range of courses, including Effective Public Speaking, Business Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Introduction to Mass Communication, Communication & Popular Culture, Social Justice & Communication, Gender, Language & Communication, and Introduction to Cooperative Education.
Beyond academia, Krysten finds joy in spending time with her partner, friends, family, and rescue cats, Moses & CeeCee.
Education
Master of Arts: University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio, 2012 (Communication)
Bachelor of Arts: University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio, 2011 (Major: Communication Minors: Psychology, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies )
Graduate Certificate: University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, 2016 (Film and Media Studies )
PhD: University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, 2024 (Communication, Gender and Women's Studies, Black Studies)