about
Hi,
I am a research assistant in digital media culture at Film University Babelsberg and currently in the final stretch of my PhD. My PhD project examines motherhood and maternalized care work on platforms, especially Instagram and conceptualizes “care entertainment” as a visual, narrative and affective form of care in response to the crisis of overburdening neoliberal mothering norms. I am particularly interested in how exhaustion is communicated through platform aesthetics and how these practices shape mothering publics.
My research sits at the intersection of qualitative media research, visual culture, digital storytelling and feminist theory, focusing on the following areas:
- Feminist theory in media and communication studies
- Digital labor / content creator culture / influencer studies
- Qualitative methods for researching platforms
- Visual methods (particularly in qualitative analysis, as well as in the context of ethical decision-making)
- Visual and narrative analysis of multimodal platform content and platform aesthetics
- Ethics of care and social reproduction theory in media and communication studies
- Interdisciplinary approaches to motherhood studies
I started exploring online mothering spaces with my master’s thesis in 2017 and have since published, lectured and spoken on this field in various forms.
As part of being a lecturer at Film University Babelsberg, I have experience teaching qualitative methods, gender platform studies and crossmedia design and storytelling. Trying new creative forms of teaching and helping students find their critical voice is such a pleasure.
Happy to share my knowledge with you!
publications
2026
- Lück-Benz, Julia, Wegener, Claudia, Adlung, Shari, & Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike (2026). Motherhood curated: A content analysis of momfluencer representations by audience size. European Journal of Communication, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02673231261416007
2022
- Wegener, Claudia, Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike & Plumeier, Lisa (2022). Motherhood in social media: phenomena and consequences of the professionalization of mothers and their media (self-)representation, Feminist Media Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2022.2108479
2021
- Schlütz, Daniela & Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike (with the collaboration of Muriel Haas, Robin Leuppert, Vanessa Rahe & Anna Rickmann) (2021). Audience engagement with spreadable texts: How to measure fan involvement with Game of Thrones. Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, 18(2), 335-355. Verfügbar unter https://www.participations.org/Volume%2018/Issue%202/contents.htm (open access)
knowledge transfer
- Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike & Lück-Benz, Julia (2025). Zurück an den Herd? (Retraditionalisierung der Frauenrolle am Beispiel der digitalen Welt). (Gastvortrag) 79. Falkenseer Frauenstammtisch im Rahmen der Brandenburgischen Frauenwochen 2025.
- Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike (2024). Wickeln, Wischen, Widerstand -Mütter auf Instagram. Science Slam im Rahmen der Jubiläumsfeier “70 Jahre Filmhochschule Babelsberg”.
- Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike (2023). Wenn Mütter online gehen. Deutsche Hebammen Zeitschrift, 75 (7), 42–46.
- Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike (2022). Instamoms – Feminismus oder Retraditionalisierung?. netzforma* e.V. – Verein für feministische Netzpolitik. https://netzforma.org/instamoms-feminismus-oder-retraditionalisierung
interviews / media
- Rauschenberger, Lisa. (21.07.2026). Family Influencer: Das echte Leben? [Radiosendung]. WDR 5 Neugier genügt. https://www1.wdr.de/radio/wdr5/sendungen/neugier-genuegt/feature-family-influencer-100.html
- Kleinmann, Verena (2025). Alle kriegen Kinder, ich zweifle: Antworten auf eine der größten Lebensfragen. Rowohlt. (S. 38-39)
conferences | public talks
2026
Laughing through labor: Humorous representations of motherhood and care work on Instagram.
11th European Communication Conference (ECC 2026), 08.09.-11.09.2026, Brno, Czech Republic.
2025
‚Mich um niemanden kümmern, der mal in mir war oder aus mir herausgekommen ist‘: Humoristische Alltagsästhetik mütterlicher Sorgearbeit in polytextuellen Instagram-Formaten.
Bilder in Bewegung und mit Bildern bewegen: Gender, Macht & Mobilität – Gemeinsame Tagung der DGPuK Fachgruppen Medien, Öffentlichkeit, Geschlecht und Visuelle Kommunikation; 19.-21.11.2025, Universität Tübingen. (Best Paper Award)
Care as a Representational Practice: Researching the (In)visibility of Private Care Work in Creator Culture.
International Conference: “Feminist perspectives on the platformisation of care work in European cities”; 02.-04.07.2025, Europa Universität Flensburg.
Professional Moms on Instagram? An Analysis of How Momfluencers Present Themselves in Relation to Their Reach.
International Communication Association 75th Annual Conference, 12.-16.06.2025, Denver, Colorado. (Interactive Poster Session)
Adlung, Shari, Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike, Wegener, Claudia & Hufgard, Matthias (14.06.2025).
The Benefits of Conceptualizing Care Theories for Creator Culture-Scholars.
Debating Creator Culture ICA Pre-Conference, 11.06.2025, University of Colorado — Boulder.
Mums on Instagram: Content, formats and commercial practices at different stages of self-professionalization.
Lück-Benz, Julia, Wegener, Claudia, Adlung, Shari & Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike (11.06.2025). Debating Creator Culture ICA Pre-Conference, 11.06.2025, University of Colorado — Boulder.
Resistant aesthetics of private care work within a ‘momfluencer’ culture? Reactionary Politics, Women and Feminist Critique.
A two day Feminist Research Event co-hosted by Dr Jilly Kay and Prof (Emer) Angela McRobbie, 21.-22.05.2025, Loughborough University & Goldsmith University of London.
How to research (in)visibilities of private care work on Instagram.
Methodological Approaches to Digital Spaces (MADS) 2025 Research Symposium, 09.04.2025, Manchester.
Subversive Repräsentationen privater Care-Arbeit: Das Potenzial einer (lesbischen) Momfluencer-Culture.
Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike & Reimers, Calista (21.03.2025). 70. Jahrestagung der DGPuK „Öffentlichkeit(en) und ihre Werte“, 19.-21.04.2025, Berlin. (Posterpräsentation)
Mutterschaft auf Instagram: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von kritischen Wertediskussionen durch Content Creator.
Adlung, Shari, Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike, Hufgard, Matthias & Wegener, Claudia (20.03.2025). 70. Jahrestagung der DGPuK „Öffentlichkeit(en) und ihre Werte“, 19.-21.04.2025, Berlin.
2024
How to deal with ephemerality? Opportunities and challenges in analysis of ephemeral (audio-)visual content?
Workshop für den wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs auf der gemeinsamen Jahrestagung “Generative Images – Generative Imageries: Challenges of Visual Communication (Research) in the Age of AI” der DGPuK-Fachgruppe „Visuelle Kommunikation“ und der ICA-Devision “Visual Communication Studies”, 20.-22.11.2024, Bremen.
Satire and performance of private care work within a momfluencer culture.
The Complexities and Challenges of Satire in Today’s Society, 14.-15.11.2024, Roskilde.
Lebensphasen und Geschlechterungleichheiten im Journalismus. Eine intersektionale Sekundäranalyse der Repräsentation von Mutterschaft. Diversität und Geschlecht im Journalismus: Intersektionale Perspektiven auf Berufsfeld und Berichterstattung.
Adlung, Shari, Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike, Hufgard Matthias & Wegener, Claudia (12.09.2024). Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Fachgruppen „Medien, Öffentlichkeit und Geschlecht“ und „Journalistik/Journalismusforschung“ der DGPuK, 11.-13.09.2024, Berlin. (Best Paper Award)
Repräsentationen von Care innerhalb einer Momfluencer-Kultur.
Workshop für den wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs auf der gemeinsamen Jahrestagung der Fachgruppen „Medien, Öffentlichkeit und Geschlecht“ und „Journalistik/Journalismusforschung“ der DGPuK, 11.-13.09.2024, Berlin.
2023
Momfluencers’ Instagram Stories as Entertainment: Daily- Soaps visualizing care from 9 to 5. International Conference.
Gendered Cultures in Platform Economies: Entertainment, Expertise and Online Selfhood, ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa.
2021
German “mumfluencers” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The friction between the ideal world and social crisis on Instagram.
Wegener, Claudia & Jage-D’Aprile, Friederike (26.02.2021). GenderCom. VI Congreso International De Género Y Comunicación, Universidad de Sevilla.
positions
2014-2016
Production Assistant, Documentary Film / Docdays Production Berlin
2017-2019
Freelance Concept Developer for Fictional Series
2019
Storyliner for Daily Soaps / UFA Serial Drama
2020
Academic Research Assistant, developing a DFG funding application with Prof. Dr. Claudia Wegener, based on the topic of my master’s thesis, Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf
2020 to present
Academic Research Assistant in Digital Media Culture at Film University Babelsberg
2024-2025
Project Assistant, DFG Project “The Construction of Motherhood in Social Media,” Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf
2023 to present
Administrative Support for the DGPuK Head Office
2024–2026
Early Career Representative, DGPuK Visual Communication Section
teaching
As part of my position as an academic assistant and lecturer at Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, I have designed and taught the following seminars and lectures:
- Introduction to Academic Writing (Winter Semester 20/21)
- Gender Representations on Instagram (Summer Semester 21 & Winter Semester 22/23)
- Planning and Conducting the Lecture Series “Perspectives: Career Fields and Careers in Media After Graduation” (Summer Semester 21)
- Transmedia Storytelling (Summer Semester 23)
- Cross-Media Project Design & Storytelling (Winter Semester 23/24, Winter Semester 24/25, Winter Semester 26/27)
- Gender & Social Media (Summer Semester 25)
- Research Seminar “Care and Media Culture” (Winter Semester 25/26)
- Qualitative Methods in Media Research (Summer Semester 2026)
workshops
I designed and hosted the following workshops:
Early Career Workshop
“How to deal with ephemerality? Opportunities and challenges in analysis of ephemeral (audio-)visual content”
as part of the annual conference of the DGPuK visual communication section
„Generative Images – Generative Imageries: Challenges of Visual Communication (Research) in the Age of AI“
University Bremen (2024)
together with Lisa Plumeier
Early Career Colloquium
as part of the annual conference of the DGPuK visual communication section together with the DGPuK media, publics, gender section
“Images in Motion and Moving with Images: Gender, Power & Mobility”
University Tübingen (2025)
together with Lisa Plumeier, Victoria Kratel & Miriam Siemon
Methods Workshop
“Qualitative Research Methods for Examining Media Practices on TikTok and Instagram”
University Salzburg (2025)
together with Annabella Backes
Early Career Workshop
“How to Deal with Challenging Platform Environments? Ethics and Methodological Self-Reflection”
as part of the annual conference of the DGPuK visual communication section
“25 Years of Images in Focus: Paradigms, Practices, and Perspectives”
University Klagenfurt (2026)
together with Lisa Plumeier, Sandra Kero & Katharina Schöppl
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legal & privacy
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