Anisha Arenz is a PhD student in the program group Youth & Media Entertainment at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR, University of Amsterdam). Her research is in the field of media psychology and focuses on the uses and effects of digital media, including mobile communication, permanent connectedness, and mental health. In her PhD project, she investigates how social influence mechanisms shape the effects of (perceived) social and mobile media use on different mental health outcomes.

Before starting her PhD, Anisha studied at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where she completed her M.A. in Communication Science (2021–2024) and her B.A. in Communication and Sociology (2017–2021). During her studies she worked in various positions as a research assistant at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (e.g., Media Effects and Media Psychology Research Group led by Prof. Dr. Leonard Reinecke) and at the Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich (Digital Democratic Mobilization in Hybrid Media Systems Research Group led by Dr. Jörg Haßler).

Anisha received several awards and scholarships including a scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes) and an award for an outstanding M.A. thesis at the Department of Communication, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

Research methods

• Quantitative methods
• Systematic literature syntheses (scoping reviews, meta-analyses)
• Intensive longitudinal and in-situ survey designs (diary studies, experience sampling studies)

Current research projects

• Beyond Screen Time: Unmasking the Power of Social Influence Processes in Social and Mobile Media's Effect on Mental Health (PhD project)

Research grants & honours

•    Master-Award for an outstanding M.A. thesis at the Department of Communication, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (07/2024)
•    Top Student Paper Award from the Mobile Communication Division at the 73rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) for the paper "Who  ̍phubs ̍? A systematic meta-analytic review of phubbing predictors" (together with Dr. Anna Schnauber-Stockmann, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz; 05/2023)
•    Conference funding for attendance at the 73rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) in Toronto by the Equal Opportunities Fund of Faculty 02 Social Sciences, Media and Sport at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (05/2023)
•    Recipient of an Erasmus+ scholarship at Oslo Metropolitan University (01/2023 – 06/2023)
•    Bachelor-Award for an outstanding B.A. thesis at the Department of Communication, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (10/2021)
•    Recipient of the German Federal Scholarship (Deutschlandstipendium; 10/2019 – 03/2020)
•    Recipient of a scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes; 04/2020 – 05/2024)