Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Robbie completed his PhD, Radical Platforms, at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 2019. His thesis engaged in a critique of autonomist Marxist theories of imperialism. This included a wide engagement with the work of post-fordist and autonomist scholars, as well as platform studies, theories of globalisation and imperialism, and media theory. The thesis involved an investigation into activist and disruptive technologies; this included 3D-printing, blockchain services, wikileaks, interactive entertainment, social media, and pirate networks.
Robbie's research continues and advances these interests, expanding into research areas such as digital ethics, smart cities, infrastructure, automation, surveillance, and fabrication.
Research interests
Robbie's areas of research interest include
Games, play, and interactive entertainment:
- esports, games cultures, games fandom
- the avatar, subjectivity, identity, and identification
- game politics and economies, both in-game and in community
- play, narratives, meta-play, meta-narratives
Media infrastructures and technologies:
- platform studies, infrastructure studies
- e-governance, platforming of government systems
- smart city projects, surveillance, online/offline tracking
- study of networks and networked cultures
- digital economies, digital fabrication
- questions of data value, digital ethics,
Media theory
- politically conscious media theories (feminism, post-colonial, anti-racist, queer approaches)
- theories for new technologies, new subjectivities
- digital economic theories and/or 4th industrial revolution
- Marxist media theory and changing systems of labour
- theories of the post-digital
- theories of globalisation, imperialism, and the role of automation in these
Innovative methods projects
- mixed-methods approaches
- social network analyses, platform analysis via API or scraped datasets
- critical engagement with epistemologies of digital research
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research area keywords
- videogames
- games
- media theory
- marxism
- intellectual labour
- networks
- activism
- disruptive technology
- 3D printing
- platforms
- data sharing
- Communication Theory
- video games
- networked publics
- networked cultures
- open data
- data policies
- media and time
- media piracy
- Media and Communications Studies
- Media and Cultural Activism
- media industries
- media governance
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Investigating artificial intelligence risks for the Australian workforce
Australian Research Council (ARC)
31/12/25 → 30/12/28
Project: Research
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Boosting Monash's Global Reputation
Idris, I., Wijaya, D., Bonotti, M., Fordyce, R. & A. Khalim, N. H.
20/12/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Unregulated and segmented dark ads on social media: consumer education and regulatory options
Andrejevic, M., Trott, V., Fordyce, R. & Li, L.
27/08/19 → 30/08/20
Project: Research
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Banning “braingasm”: an investigation of misogynistic politics in 8Chan’s, U.S. platforms’ and CCP’s regulation of ASMR
Shen, S., Andrejevic, M. & Fordyce, R., 2024, (Accepted/In press) In: Feminist Media Studies. 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Automated culture: introduction
Andrejevic, M., Fordyce, R., Li, L. & Trott, V., 2023, In: Cultural Studies. 37, 1, 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other › peer-review
4 Citations (Scopus) -
Oaths and the ethics of automated data: limits to porting the Hippocratic oath from medicine to data science
Mannell, K., Fordyce, R. & Jethani, S., 2023, In: Cultural Studies. 37, 1, p. 168-189 22 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
4 Citations (Scopus) -
Ad Accountability Online: A methodological approach: A methodological approach
Andrejevic, M., Fordyce, R., Li, L., Trott, V., Angus, D. & Tan, J., 10 May 2022, Everyday Automation: Experiencing and Anticipating Emerging Technologies. Pink, S., Berg, M., Lupton, D. & Ruckenstein, M. (eds.). 1st ed. Abingdon Oxon UK: Routledge, p. 213-225 13 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
3 Citations (Scopus) -
Automating digital afterlives
Fordyce, R., Nansen, B., Arnold, M., Kohn, T. & Gibbs, M., 1 Jan 2021, Disentangling: The Geographies of Digital Disconnection. Jansson , A. & Adams, P. C. (eds.). New York NY USA: Oxford University Press, USA, p. 115-136 22 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
4 Citations (Scopus)
Activities
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Submission to the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024
Fordyce, R. (Contributor), Mannell, K. (Contributor), Yang, F. (Contributor) & Moore, K. (Contributor)
22 Nov 2024Activity: External Academic Engagement › Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries
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Chinese Platforms Briefing
Yang, F. (Contributor), Fordyce, R. (Contributor) & Heemsbergen, L. (Contributor)
10 Dec 2024 → 11 Dec 2024Activity: External Academic Engagement › Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries
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"Illuminating Dark Ads" - Association of Internet Researchers
Mark Andrejevic (Speaker), Verity Trott (Speaker), Robbie Fordyce (Speaker) & Luzhou Li (Speaker)
27 Oct 2020 → 1 Nov 2020Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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"Tracking Dark Ads" workshop, Creative Directions Festival, Monash University
Mark Andrejevic (Speaker), Robbie Fordyce (Speaker), Verity Trott (Speaker) & Luzhou Li (Organiser)
8 Oct 2020Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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“Dark ads and the spread of disinformation.”
Mark Andrejevic (Contributor), Robbie Fordyce (Contributor), Verity Trott (Contributor) & Luzhou Li (Contributor)
21 May 2020Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public event
Press/Media
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Chinese-language publisher offers election candidates gushing praise on WeChat. But the flattery comes with a price tag.
20/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Calls for better WeChat regulation to prevent political misinformation
19/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Political ads on messaging app WeChat are banned. So why are they showing up?
19/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Chinese-speaking voters critical of Coalition’s ‘militaristic’ stance on China in lead-up to 2022 election, WeChat study shows
13/05/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature