Kaarel Lott

Kaarel Lott is a Junior Research Fellow of Digital Media Studies at the University of Tartu, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Social Studies, where he has been employed since 2023 on a full-time basis through August 31, 2027. His research focuses on digital media practices, particularly examining gender dynamics, online communities, and problematic social media behaviors.

Lott is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Tartu under the supervision of Maria Murumaa-Mengel and Raili Marling, with his dissertation titled "The \"Dark\" Online Practices of Young People in the Context of Media and Information Literacies." He previously earned his Master's degree in Media and Communication Studies from Lund University in 2023, where his thesis examined "The Slap Heard Around the World: Contextualising Forgiveness Online With the 2022 Oscars Scandal from the Perspective of Women Living With Alopecia" under the supervision of Annette Hill.

His research interests center on contemporary digital culture with particular focus on the manosphere, online misogyny, social media radicalization, and shaming practices in digital spaces. Lott's work often employs qualitative methodologies to analyze how young people navigate complex digital environments and how harmful discourses become normalized in online communities.

Lott's scholarly contributions demonstrate a consistent focus on understanding problematic online behaviors and discourses, particularly examining how masculinity is constructed in digital spaces, how misogyny becomes professionalized among social media influencers, and how recreational shaming groups operate on platforms like Facebook. His research bridges academic theory with practical concerns about digital literacy and online safety.

Lott has published across multiple formats including peer-reviewed journal articles in journals such as Humanities and Social Sciences Communications and Convergence, as well as book publications addressing the normalization of sexism in Estonian media. His work appears to be gaining international recognition with publications appearing in 2025.

As a researcher based in Estonia, Lott brings a valuable regional perspective to global conversations about digital media, particularly examining Estonian online communities and influencers while connecting these case studies to broader theoretical frameworks in communication and media studies.