Graduate Student Highlight: Laila Abbas

Name: Laila Abbas

Laila Abbas, a Ph.D. student and teaching assistant in the SJMC, was recently awarded the Top Dissertation Award Honorable Mention from the International Communication Association’s (ICA) Activism, Communication and Social Justice Interest Group. Her thesis, “Emotionally Stimulated Activism on TikTok: The Impact of Exposure to Audiovisual Moral Violation on Collective Action in the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Movement,” explores how digital content can spark political engagement and identity formation, using the Iranian “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement as a case study. Drawing on theories of social identity and collective action, her research analyzes how “audiovisual moral violation stimuli” on TikTok can inspire social engagement in decentralized digital environments.

Prior to joining the SJMC, Abbas worked as an Assistant Lecturer at Cairo University in Egypt and earned her MA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo. In this Q&A, Abbas reflects on the impact of her research, her hopes for its contribution to conversations around activism and digital media, the advice she has for SJMC students interested in pursuing academic research and her favorite SJMC memory.

Reflecting on this award, what part of your research stands out as your proudest achievement?

I’m proud that I was able to provide the first experimental evidence showing how audiovisual content on platforms like TikTok can directly foster politicized identities and collective action in response to moral violations. The study’s findings reveal how everyday users, even those not directly involved in a movement, can become mobilized through the powerful emotional and moral resonance of short-form video content.

How do you hope your research contributes to conversations around activism and digital platforms?

I hope this line of research redirects conversations about how platforms like TikTok serve as critical tools for political participation and identity formation. By identifying the psychological mechanisms that underlie online collective action, I hope this work equips scholars, activists, and policy makers with new insights into how digital tools can be harnessed to mobilize support for social justice movements across borders.

What advice would you give SJMC students interested in pursuing high-level academic research?

Pursue questions that genuinely move you and dare to cross disciplinary boundaries in finding the tools to answer them. Don’t be afraid to study new or unconventional if they reflect real societal change. More importantly, foster relationships with mentors who will challenge your thinking and support your intellectual growth.

What is your favorite SJMC memory?

One of my favorite SJMC moments was attending Communication Crossroads during my first visit to Madison in March 2024. I remember walking into the event, meeting a group of incredibly thoughtful and passionate students, and instantly feeling a sense of belonging. I knew then that SJMC was where I could spend the next four years of my life.