In 2020, the programme coordinator, programme council and department council, Media, Communication and Cultural Analysis, chose to distinguish three theses in one volume. This volume presents adaptations of these works that were written and defended within the framework of the international master’s programme at Södertörn University. It is the first in a series and includes chapters by alumni who graduated in 2020.

The contributions deal with discussions of how those in the creative industries manage day-to-day life in hyperconnected pandemic times, how toxic language is experienced and reproduced in gaming environments and what is specific to right-wing digital platforms. Each contribution challenges aspects of digital communication: work overload, toxic language, and behavior or extremist communities, and helps us develop a better understanding of contemporary digital culture from a critical perspective.