Role
Sarah is a Deputy Director and Principal Lecturer in the Nottingham Institute of Psychology. She combines academic leadership with teaching, scholarship, and research. A cyberpsychologist by background, her research focuses on the relationship between people and digital technologies, with a particular focus on online risks and harms, the fear of missing out (FoMO), and ambiguous and socially aggressive communication behaviours in online and offline contexts. Sarah also leads scholarly projects that support the effective integration of digital technologies across the curriculum. She teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, supervises student research projects, and welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD candidates interested in cyberpsychology and related areas.
Career overview
Sarah began her career in secondary education, teaching Computing and ICT. Driven by a longstanding interest in digital technology and online behaviour, she went on to complete doctoral research exploring online risks and behaviours associated with social networking site use. Following her doctoral studies, Sarah joined Nottingham Trent University as a member of academic staff in 2016 and has since built a career spanning teaching, research, scholarship, and academic leadership.
Research areas
Sarah's research examines the relationship between people and digital technologies, with a particular focus on online risks and harms, social media use, the fear of missing out (FoMO), and the impact of generative AI on individuals and society. She is especially interested in communication and behaviour in digital environments, including ambiguous and socially aggressive interactions such as banter. Alongside her cyberpsychology research, Sarah leads scholarly projects exploring the effective use of digital technologies and generative AI in higher education and is an active member of NTU's Bullying and Aggressive Behaviour Research Group.
External activity
Sarah is on the editorial staff of QWERTY an international interdisciplinary journal of technology, culture and education.
Press expertise
- Cyber Psychology
- Social media use (by adolescents and adults)
- 'FOMO'
- Motivations for digital technology use
- Online vulnerability / risk / safety
- Online and offline banter
Course(s) I teach on
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Postgraduate taught | Full-time / Part-timeCOURSE
Cyberpsychology - MSc
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/social-sciences/pg/msc-cyberpsychology
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Undergraduate | Full-timeCOURSE
Psychology - BSc (Hons)
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/social-sciences/ug/bsc-hons-psychology
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Sarah's work aligns with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
