Anne Mette Thorhauge

Anne Mette Thorhauge is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Humanities and a core member of the Center for Tracking and Society. Her academic work bridges digital media studies with economic sociology, focusing on children's digital experiences within platform economies.

Her primary research areas include platform economies, digital markets, children and young people's media use, video games, and digital methods. Thorhauge examines how gaming mechanics intersect with financial behaviors, particularly through projects like 'Gamblified game mechanics in Danish Children and young people's gaming' and 'Financial youth culture.' She employs innovative digital methods to track how young people navigate monetization systems in games and social media platforms.

Her research output shows consistent focus on the economic dimensions of digital play, with recent publications analyzing multi-level marketing on TikTok, player-driven virtual economies, and the intersection of gaming with financial literacy. The work demonstrates increasing attention to gendered financial behaviors and regulatory challenges in digital markets.

• Formidlingsprisen (2017) for science communication excellence
• Extensive media engagement including 10 press appearances since 2019
• Regular contributions to public policy debates on children's digital rights

Thorhauge has served on the Danish Media Council for Children and Young People for over a decade, chairing it until May 2019, and continues as board member at Center for Digital Youth Care. Her advisory work connects academic research with practical child protection frameworks grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. She has participated in numerous governmental consultations including sessions at the Danish Tax Ministry on youth gaming and gambling behaviors.

As part of the Center for Tracking and Society, she collaborates on interdisciplinary projects examining digital surveillance, platform governance, and the economic lives of young people. Her current research network includes the Nordic Esports exploratory network and ongoing studies of financial youth culture across gaming and investment platforms.