Associate Professor Amanda Third (PhD) is Principal Research Fellow in Digital Social and Cultural Research in the Institute for Culture and Society at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. Amanda’s research focuses on the socio-cultural dimensions of young people’s technology use, with particular emphases on the intergenerational dynamics shaping technology practice, and vulnerable young people’s technological engagements. Since 2010, Amanda has led Research Program 2: "Connected and Creative", of the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, which unites young people with researchers, practitioners, innovators and policy-makers from over 75 partner organisations across the not-for-profit, academic, government and corporate sectors to explore the role of technology in young people’s lives, and how technology can be used to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 12 to 25. The research programme Amanda leads investigates how to better connect vulnerable young people with their communities by enhancing and leveraging their technology practices and their creative engagements. She is also Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Industry Linkage project entitled “Young People, Technology and Wellbeing Research Facility” that examines cross-sector knowledge brokering practices. She has been a member of the Australian-based ‘Technology and Wellbeing Cross-Sector Roundtable’ since 2008.
