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Research

In early 2023, Phillips will be publishing her fourth book, Share Better and Stress Less: A Guide to Thinking Ecologically about Social Media (Candlewick Press/MITeen), for young adult readers. Co-authored with Ryan Milner, it draws on ecological, social justice, and storytelling frameworks to explain how and why information pollution - including distressing true information - spreads across social media, and offers strategies and tips to avoid causing accidental harm online. Grounded in the exploits of a cast of hyperconnected middle schoolers, the book also explores the relationship between stress, wellness, and social media sharing.

Phillips’ current book project, co-authored with political science and religion scholar Mark Brockway of Syracuse University and technology reporter Abby Ohlheiser, explores what they call the shadow gospel: a tangle of decades-old, densely overlapping set of wraparound, hybridized religious and secular messages reinforcing a vision of "real" America branded as traditional but which is, instead, an invention of the post-WWII landscape. Drawing from a vast demonology - the belief that an evil force is threatening to destroy a culture's most important values and institutions - and deriving strength from communications advancements and shifts in media policy extending back to the 1940s, the shadow gospel pits a righteous us against a wicked them said to threaten everything that "real" Americans hold dear. The shadow gospel is thus central to understanding events like the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, along with a host of culture wars issues that will only intensify as the 2024 Presidential election approaches.