Monica Stephens

My research focuses on the social and spatial effects of the internet. I am particularly interested in the increase of xenophobia in cyberspace created through the expanded influence of online social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter). More specifically, I am looking at the interchange between social and physical spaces to understand the simultaneous broadening social divide and bridging of Cartesian distance in cyberspace. To do this, I use a variety of geospatial and statistical methods in ArcMap and MatLab software platforms.