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Postdoc Position in Designing for Agency: Reducing Digital Overuse in Youth

  • Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
  • 14438
  • University
  • €4.728 - €6.433
  • Closes on
    12-10-2025
Apply

Postdoc Position in Designing for Agency: Reducing Digital Overuse in Youth

  • Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
  • 14438
  • University
  • €4.728 - €6.433
  • Closes on
    12-10-2025
Apply

Working at the UvA

Join Us in Redesigning Social Media for Youth

As a Postdoctoral Researcher (30,4 hours) you will play a crucial role in the project "Designing for Agency." Your work will involve evaluating design patterns that promote or hinder engagement on social media platforms and collaborating with young people to develop alternative features. You will join a team dedicated to understanding and improving digital well-being among adolescents by focusing on how digital spaces can be designed that support youth development.

 

In this project, you will (co)author a theoretical review that provides a systematic overview of current developments in UX design aimed at curbing engagement or promoting disengagement. This review will also encompass (media-) psychological theories to understand the impact and mechanisms through which these design features are expected to work. The review will serve as the foundation for empirical work, testing the identified mechanisms and evaluating leverage points for promoting agency in young people through experimental studies.

 

This project is part of the Youth and Media Entertainment program group, which has a longstanding tradition of studying social media and young people. We expect postdoctoral researchers to actively collaborate within the group by attending project meetings, assisting with ongoing projects, and supporting colleagues in organizing events to share the workload and increase the impact of our academic work. The co-PI on this team is Dr Helen Vossen, and the cocreation process which is scheduled for the final year of this project will be supported by Dr Lara Schreurs (KULeuven).

 

Working at the UvA

Join Us in Redesigning Social Media for Youth

As a Postdoctoral Researcher (30,4 hours) you will play a crucial role in the project "Designing for Agency." Your work will involve evaluating design patterns that promote or hinder engagement on social media platforms and collaborating with young people to develop alternative features. You will join a team dedicated to understanding and improving digital well-being among adolescents by focusing on how digital spaces can be designed that support youth development.

 

In this project, you will (co)author a theoretical review that provides a systematic overview of current developments in UX design aimed at curbing engagement or promoting disengagement. This review will also encompass (media-) psychological theories to understand the impact and mechanisms through which these design features are expected to work. The review will serve as the foundation for empirical work, testing the identified mechanisms and evaluating leverage points for promoting agency in young people through experimental studies.

 

This project is part of the Youth and Media Entertainment program group, which has a longstanding tradition of studying social media and young people. We expect postdoctoral researchers to actively collaborate within the group by attending project meetings, assisting with ongoing projects, and supporting colleagues in organizing events to share the workload and increase the impact of our academic work. The co-PI on this team is Dr Helen Vossen, and the cocreation process which is scheduled for the final year of this project will be supported by Dr Lara Schreurs (KULeuven).

 

All about this vacancy

What are you going to do

  • Conduct a literature review, including a social media feature analysis.
  • Evaluate the impact of (dis)engagement design features.
  • Design and implement intervention studies.
  • Collaborate with adolescents in co-creation sessions.
  • Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

 

 

What do you have to offer

  • You have a PhD in in Communication Science, Media Psychology, or Developmental Psychology when combined with a media effects angle.
  • You are skilled in both theoretical and empirical research, with a demonstrated interest in media effects research.
  • You can work independently and as part of a team.
  • You are creative, proactive and can manage multiple tasks.
  • You keep calm under pressure and meet deadlines.
  • You have a strong commitment to open science principles

 

What else do we offer you

  • A fully funded 0.8FTE postdoctoral appointment for initially 12 months, and a 24 month extension following a positive evaluation after the first year. Thus this is a temporary position of maximum three years.
  • Depending on the candidate and needs of the department, a 0.2FTE teaching contract alongside this post-doctoral appointment can be discussed.
  • An enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues
  • A position in which initiative and input are highly valued
  • Contribution to academic articles for publication in high-impact scientific journals and presenting them at national/international conferences.

 

All about this vacancy

What are you going to do

  • Conduct a literature review, including a social media feature analysis.
  • Evaluate the impact of (dis)engagement design features.
  • Design and implement intervention studies.
  • Collaborate with adolescents in co-creation sessions.
  • Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

 

 

What do you have to offer

  • You have a PhD in in Communication Science, Media Psychology, or Developmental Psychology when combined with a media effects angle.
  • You are skilled in both theoretical and empirical research, with a demonstrated interest in media effects research.
  • You can work independently and as part of a team.
  • You are creative, proactive and can manage multiple tasks.
  • You keep calm under pressure and meet deadlines.
  • You have a strong commitment to open science principles

 

What else do we offer you

  • A fully funded 0.8FTE postdoctoral appointment for initially 12 months, and a 24 month extension following a positive evaluation after the first year. Thus this is a temporary position of maximum three years.
  • Depending on the candidate and needs of the department, a 0.2FTE teaching contract alongside this post-doctoral appointment can be discussed.
  • An enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues
  • A position in which initiative and input are highly valued
  • Contribution to academic articles for publication in high-impact scientific journals and presenting them at national/international conferences.

 

Your place at the UvA

You will work here

The team is embedded within the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam. ASCoR brings together experts across four program groups - Persuasive Communication; Corporate Communication; Political Communication & Journalism; and Youth & Media Entertainment - to advance interdisciplinary research on how media and technology shape society.

 

For this project, you will be officially embedded in the Youth & Media Entertainment (YME) program group. YME focuses on the role of emerging technologies in everyday life, with a special emphasis on how these phenomena affect young populations across the globe. At ASCoR and within YME, you will join a dynamic, supportive research community that values collaboration, innovation, and real-world impact. Based in Amsterdam – a vibrant international hub – you will engage with stakeholders across academia, industry, and societal stakeholders to work towards more responsible social media spaces.

About the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) is the largest educational and research institution in the field of social and behavioural sciences in Europe. Here, we explore societal and human-centered issues, driven by scientific curiosity but also with an eye for current themes. For example, the impact of media and communication on individuals and society, healthcare challenges, global urbanization, human development, the role of political institutions, understanding the human mind, growing inequality, diversity issues, and changing social relationships.
In Europe and beyond, the FMG holds a leading position, thanks in part to its more than 1,300 staff members who contribute to education and research. Will you be one of them?
Read more about the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Your place at the UvA

This is where you will be working

You will work here

The team is embedded within the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam. ASCoR brings together experts across four program groups - Persuasive Communication; Corporate Communication; Political Communication & Journalism; and Youth & Media Entertainment - to advance interdisciplinary research on how media and technology shape society.

 

For this project, you will be officially embedded in the Youth & Media Entertainment (YME) program group. YME focuses on the role of emerging technologies in everyday life, with a special emphasis on how these phenomena affect young populations across the globe. At ASCoR and within YME, you will join a dynamic, supportive research community that values collaboration, innovation, and real-world impact. Based in Amsterdam – a vibrant international hub – you will engage with stakeholders across academia, industry, and societal stakeholders to work towards more responsible social media spaces.

About the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences

The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) is the largest educational and research institution in the field of social and behavioural sciences in Europe. Here, we explore societal and human-centered issues, driven by scientific curiosity but also with an eye for current themes. For example, the impact of media and communication on individuals and society, healthcare challenges, global urbanization, human development, the role of political institutions, understanding the human mind, growing inequality, diversity issues, and changing social relationships.
In Europe and beyond, the FMG holds a leading position, thanks in part to its more than 1,300 staff members who contribute to education and research. Will you be one of them?
Read more about the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Important to know

Your application & contact

If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the role, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter and CV.  Please submit your application as a single consolidated PDF (including your cover letter, CV, one relevant published article, and contact details for two academic referees) by the 12th of October 2025.

You can apply via the red button until 12th of October 2025.

Interviews will take place on campus on the 23rd of October. A possible second interview will take place on the 30th of October. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates. The latest start date for this position is the 5th of January 2026.

 

For further questions on this position, you can contact Dr Sindy Sumter ([email protected]) or Dr Helen Vossen ([email protected]).

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture.
Read more
Studies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but not yet all of the requested experience? The UvA encourages you to apply anyway.

Important to know

Your application & contact

If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the role, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter and CV.  Please submit your application as a single consolidated PDF (including your cover letter, CV, one relevant published article, and contact details for two academic referees) by the 12th of October 2025.

You can apply via the red button until 12th of October 2025.

Interviews will take place on campus on the 23rd of October. A possible second interview will take place on the 30th of October. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates. The latest start date for this position is the 5th of January 2026.

 

For further questions on this position, you can contact Dr Sindy Sumter ([email protected]) or Dr Helen Vossen ([email protected]).

As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture.
Studies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but not yet all of the requested experience? The UvA encourages you to apply anyway.

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