Jinyeong Kim explores how digital and social media shape health communication, with a focus on self-identity, psychological well-being, and health-related decision making. Her work examines the interplay between posters and viewers on social media and the dual role of digital platforms in both reinforcing harmful norms and fostering empowering narratives.
Jinyeong Kim is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research explores how digital and social media shape health communication-from public norms circulating on platforms to individual processes of self-perception and decision making.
She is particularly interested in the interplay between posters (i.e., senders) and viewers (i.e., receivers) on social media, investigating how their interactions influence perceptions of self and others as well as subsequent health behaviors. Her long-standing interest in eating disorders and body image informs this research, with particular attention to the dual role of social media in both perpetuating harmful descriptive norms and fostering recovery narratives that promote self-acceptance and healthier behaviors.
Methodologically, she mainly employs surveys, secondary data analysis, and computational approaches to capture the complexity of digital health contexts.
Beyond academia, she founded "Mein Mine," a size-inclusive balletwear brand in South Korea, reflecting her commitment to expanding the scope of body representations and promoting inclusivity by challenging stereotypes.
Her ultimate goal is to guide evidence-based interventions which can enhance empowerment, inclusivity, and equitable understandings of health in contemporary digital environments.
M.A. (2024), Seoul National University, Communication
B.A. (2022), Sogang University, Mass Communications (Track in Advertising & Public Relations) & Public Leadership