Ben Light

Ben Light is Professor at the University of Salford's School of Health & Society, where he researches digital media's impact on gender, sexuality, and social interactions. He directs research at the Centre for Research on Inclusive Society and Centre for Applied Health Research.

His research examines:

• Digital intimacy and dating/hookup app cultures
• Algorithmic governance of sexual content
• Social media ethics and platform politics
• Digital methods for studying online behavior
• LGBTQ+ experiences in digital spaces

Publication trends show consistent focus on:

• Sexuality and digital platforms (55% of recent works)
• Algorithmic content moderation (30%)
• Digital health communication (15%)

Awards include:

• Nancy Baym Book Award for NSFW: Sex, Humor and Risk (2020)
• Claudio Ciborra Award for Most Provocative Paper (2011)
• Finalist for KTP Awards (2003)

Supervises doctoral students in digital society studies and directs interdisciplinary projects with NHS Cancer Screening Programme, LGBT Foundation, and Imperial War Museums.