Cohort Year:
2024
Research Interests:
Japanese manga and anime; techno-politics of digital media (user agency, behaviors of resistance and subversion); science and technology studies; new materialism
Education:
M.A., The University of Chicago; B.A., Tsinghua University
Biography
Amber Qi is a PhD student in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago. She is interested in the techno-politics of media platforms and user behavior. Her research examines how users engage with pirated erotic manga websites, focusing on the usage and efficacy of technologies, including VPNs and incognito modes, in enabling anonymous interactions with perceived perverse content. Amber focuses on how these technologies facilitate user resistance through subversion and obfuscation, highlighting the complex interplay between desire, immaterial labor, and user agency in digital environments.