Dr Michael Saker
Contact details
About
Overview
Michael is a Reader in Digital Sociology and Societal Change. His research explores digital cultures and society along two sociological lines of inquiry. First, he examines the physical, spatial and social consequences of emerging mobile technologies in urban environments. He is particularly interested in the role digital devices and data might play in place-making practices, perceptions of urban space, work, and family life. Second, he examines the continuing digitisation of everyday life and the effect this might be having on extant social inequalities. As a corollary to this, he is interested in the digital data people produce, the political implications of this process, and how the ongoing transformation of life into data might lead to new methodological ways of examining the emergent effects of digital media. Broadly speaking, then, Michael's research revolves around digital cultures, digital data, and the datafication of society. Importantly, these interests coalesce around his scholarly career as a sociologist.
Michael is the Associate Editor of the journal Information, Communication & Society.
He is also a member of the Niantic x RIT Geo Games and Media Research Lab, a Convenor for the British Sociological Associations (BSA) Digital Sociology Study Group, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Web Science Institute at the University of Southampton.
Qualifications
- PGCLTHE, Southampton Solent University, Southampton, United Kingdom, October 2017
- PhD (fully-funded), University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom, October 2017 - November 2014
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Higher Education Academy, York, United Kingdom, March 2014
- MA Media and Cultural Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom, 2004 - October 2005
- BA (Hons) Media Culture and Communication, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom, September 2001 - July 2004
Employment
- Senior Lecturer, Southampton Solent University, Southampton, United Kingdom, September 2015 - August 2017
- Lecturer, Southampton Solent University, Southampton, United Kingdom, September 2014 - August 2015
Publications
Publications by category
Books (4)
- Evans, L., Frith, J. and Saker, M. (2022). From microverse to Metaverse: Modelling the future through today's virtual worlds.
- Frith, J. and Saker, M. (2022). The Changing Face of VR: Pushing the Boundaries of Experience Across Multiple Industries. Vernon Press. ISBN 9781648894749.
- Saker, M. and Evans, L. (2021). Intergenerational Locative Play. Emerald Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781839091407.
- Evans, L. and Saker, M. (2017). Location-Based Social Media. Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783319494715.
Chapters (7)
- Mercea, D., Saker, M. and Santos, F.G. (2026). Protesting the lockdown: geo-indexing a movement publicly opposing Covid-19 policies on Facebook. Mobilizing during COVID-19 (pp. 29-52). Routledge.
- Frith, J. and Saker, M. (2022). Introduction: The winding road of Virtual Reality (VR) development. The changing face of VR: Pushing the boundaries of experience across multiple industries (pp. 1-14). Vernon Press. ISBN 9781648894749.
- Parker, E. and Saker, M. (2022). Exploring the phenomenology of VR-based exhibits in art museums. The changing face of VR: Pushing the boundaries of experience across multiple industries (pp. 159-172). Vernon Press. ISBN 9781648894749.
- Wang, Y., Papangelis, K., Saker, M., Lykourentzou, I., Khan, V.-.J., Chamberlain, A.... Grudin, J. (2021). An Examination of the Work Practices of Crowdfarms. (pp. 1-14). ACM.
- Saker, M. and Evans, L. (2020). Personalising the Urban: A Critical Account of Locative Media and the Digital Inscription of Place. Springer Series in Adaptive Environments (pp. 39-55). Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783030062361.
- Saker, M. (2018). Mobile virtual realities and portable magic circles. Mobile Story Making in an Age of Smartphones (pp. 97-105).
- Saker, M. (2018). Mobile Virtual Realities and Portable Magic Circles. Mobile Story Making in an Age of Smartphones (pp. 97-105). Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783319767949.
Conference papers and proceedings (15)
- Xu, J., Luna, S.M., Saker, M., Chamberlain, A., LaLone, N., Laato, S.... Papangelis, K. Understanding the Dynamics of Trust in Location-Based Games as Hybrid Spaces: The Players' Perspective. CHI 2026: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3772318.3790587
- Xu, J., Seo, S., Salminen, J., Saker, M., Shin, J., Chamberlain, A.... Kim, D.H. Understanding Spatiotemporal-Aware Multimodal Conversational Search in the Outdoor Urban Space. CHI 2026: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3772318.3790541
- Luna, S.M., Xu, J., Tigwell, G.W., LaLone, N., Saker, M., Chamberlain, A.... Papangelis, K. Exploring Deaf And Hard of Hearing Peoples' Perspectives On Tasks In Augmented Reality: Interacting With 3D Objects And Instructional Comprehension. CHI 2025: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3706598.3713678
- Luna, S.M., Xu, J., Papangelis, K., Tigwell, G.W., Lalone, N., Saker, M.... Wang, Y. Communication, Collaboration, and Coordination in a Co-located Shared Augmented Reality Game: Perspectives From Deaf and Hard of Hearing People. CHI '24: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3613904.3642953
- Xu, J., Papangelis, K., Tigwell, G.W., Lalone, N., Zhou, P., Saker, M.... Schwartz, D. Spatial Computing: Defining the Vision for the Future. CHI '24: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3613905.3643978
- Dunham, J., Papangelis, K., Boulanger, C., Lalone, N., Nika, E.L., Saker, M.... Schwartz, D. Building Positively Affective Location-Based Advertising: A Study of Pokémon GO Players. CHI '23: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3544548.3580939
- Xu, J., Papangelis, K., Dunham, J., Boulanger, C., Lee, J.H., Lalone, N.... Saker, M. Understanding Social Interactions in Location-based Games as Hybrid Spaces: Coordination and Collaboration in Raiding in Pokémon GO. CHI '23: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3544548.3581544
- Wang, Y., Papangelis, K., Lykourentzou, I., Saker, M., Chamberlain, A., Khan, V.-.J.... Yue, Y. Tasks of a Different Color: How Crowdsourcing Practices Differ per Complex Task Type and Why This Matters. CHI '23: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3544548.3581418
- Papangelis, K., Saker, M., Lee, J.H. and Jones, C. Smart Cities at Play: Lived Experiences, Emerging Forms of Playfulness, and Problems of Participation. CHI '20: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.doi:10.1145/3334480.3375146
- Saker, M. and Evans, L. (2020). Pokémon Go and Parental Play: Emerging forms of Joint media engagement. MeCCSA Annual Conference 2020 Media Interactions and Environments 8-10 January, University of Brighton.
- Saker, M. and Frith, J. (2019). Emerging norms in social VR: An empirical analysis of Facebook Spaces. 69th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference 24-28 May.
- Saker, M. and Evans, L. (2019). Pokémon Go and Parental Play: Emerging forms of Joint media engagement. BSA Annual Conference, Challenging Social Hierarchies and Inequalities, Glasgow Caledonian University 24-26 April.
- Saker, M. and Frith, J. (2018). Mobile Virtual Reality and Hybrid Presence: Emerging Forms of Separate Space. BSA Annual Conference, Identity, Community and Social Solidarity 10-12 April, Northumbria University, UK.
- Saker, (2017). The personal and public impact of Pokémon Go: contextualising ‘novelty’ within the broader canon of locative media. BSA Annual Conference 2017, Recovering the Social: Personal Troubles and Public Issues 4-6 April, University of Manchester.
- Saker, (2017). Ridesharing and restricted mobilities: Using computational social science to examine collaborative mobilities and their impact on experiences of place. MeCCSA Annual Conference 2017, ‘Culture, Media, Equality and Freedom’ 11-13 January, University of Leeds.
Journal articles (27)
- Saker, M., Mercea, D. and Myers, C.-.A. (2026). Beyond the campus: Exploring self-protective behaviors and mobile phone use among women students in urban environments. The Communication Review pp. 1-20. doi:10.1080/10714421.2026.2663411
- Saker, M. and Evans, L. (2026). Beyond virtual reality: The domestication and gentrification of virtual space. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. doi:10.1177/13548565261440960
- Xu, J., Luna, S.M., Tigwell, G.W., Lalone, N., Saker, M., Laato, S.... Papangelis, K. (2025). Understanding the Interplay between the Digital and the Physical in Shared AR Gaming: Probing through Urban Legends. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 32(6), pp. 1-24. doi:10.1145/3749841
- Saker, M., Mercea, D. and Myers, C.-.A. (2025). Educational journeys: understanding how women commuter students’ daily mobilities can shape their higher education experience. Mobilities pp. 1-17. doi:10.1080/17450101.2025.2578243
- (2025). Correction. Social Movement Studies, 24(4), pp. 1-1. doi:10.1080/14742837.2024.2342157
- Mercea, D., Saker, M. and Santos, F.G. (2024). Protesting the lockdown: geo-indexing a movement publicly opposing Covid-19 policies on Facebook. Social Movement Studies, 23(6), pp. 695-718. doi:10.1080/14742837.2024.2336957
- Dunham, J., Xu, J., Papangelis, K., Lalone, N., Saker, M. and Schwartz, D. (2024). Pokémon GO as an Advertising Platform: The Case for Locative Advertising in Location-based Games. Games: Research and Practice, 2(1). doi:10.1145/3641509
- Saker, M., Mercea, D. and Myers, C.-.A. (2024). “Wayfearing” and the city: Exploring how experiential fear of crime frames the mobilities of women students at a city-based university using a bespoke chatbot app. Mobile Media & Communication, 12(1), pp. 131-151. doi:10.1177/20501579231203556
- Papangelis, K., Saker, M., Leorke, D., Lee, J.H. and Jones, C. (2023). Introduction to Smart Cities in Transition: Challenges of Participation in Urban Environments. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 39(2), pp. 283-285. doi:10.1080/10447318.2021.2012385
- Dunham, J., Papangelis, K., Laato, S., LaLone, N., Lee, J.H. and Saker, M. (2022). The Impacts of Covid-19 on Players of Pokemon GO. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction. doi:10.1145/3569896
- Saker, M. and Mercea, D. (2022). Understanding familial locative play: Exploring parent online social learning to play Pokémon Go. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 28(2), pp. 506-521. doi:10.1177/13548565211032375
- Saker, M. and Frith, J. (2022). Contiguous identities. First Monday. doi:10.5210/fm.v27i3.12471
- Wang, Y., Papangelis, K., Lykourentzou, I., Khan, V.-.J., Saker, M., Yue, Y.... Grudin, J. (2021). The Dawn of Crowdfarms. Communications of the ACM, 65(8), pp. 64-70. doi:10.1145/3490698
- Parker, E. and Saker, M. (2020). Art museums and the incorporation of virtual reality: Examining the impact of VR on spatial and social norms. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 26(5-6), pp. 1159-1173. doi:10.1177/1354856519897251
- Saker, M. and Frith, J. (2020). Coextensive space: virtual reality and the developing relationship between the body, the digital and physical space. Media, Culture & Society, 42(7-8), pp. 1427-1442. doi:10.1177/0163443720932498
- Frith, J. and Saker, M. (2020). It Is All About Location: Smartphones and Tracking the Spread of COVID-19. Social Media + Society, 6(3). doi:10.1177/2056305120948257
- Papangelis, K., Saker, M. and Jones, C. (2020). Smart Cities at Play: Technology and Emerging forms of playfulness. Behaviour & Information Technology, 39(6), pp. 607-609. doi:10.1080/0144929x.2020.1749338
- Wang, Y., Papangelis, K., Saker, M., Lykourentzou, I., Chamberlain, A. and Khan, V.-.J. (2020). Crowdsourcing in China: Exploring the Work Experiences of Solo Crowdworkers and Crowdfarm Workers. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems pp. 1-13. doi:10.1145/3313831.3376473
- Papangelis, K., Chamberlain, A., Lykourentzou, I., Khan, V.-.J., Saker, M., Liang, H.-.N.... Cao, T. (2020). Performing the Digital Self: Understanding Location-Based Social Networking, Territory, Space, and Identity in the City. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 27(1), pp. 1-26. doi:10.1145/3364997
- Evans, L. and Saker, M. (2019). The playeur and Pokémon Go: Examining the effects of locative play on spatiality and sociability. Mobile Media & Communication, 7(2), pp. 232-247. doi:10.1177/2050157918798866
- Saker, M. and Frith, J. (2019). From hybrid space to dislocated space: Mobile virtual reality and a third stage of mobile media theory. New Media & Society, 21(1), pp. 214-228. doi:10.1177/1461444818792407
- Saker, M. and Frith, J. (2018). Locative Media and Sociability: Using Location-Based Social Networks to Coordinate Everyday Life. Architecture_MPS, 14(1). doi:10.14324/111.444.amps.2018v14i1.001
- Frith, J. and Saker, M. (2017). Understanding Yik Yak: Location-based sociability and the communication of place. First Monday. doi:10.5210/fm.v22i10.7442
- Saker, M. (2017). Foursquare and identity: Checking-in and presenting the self through location. New Media & Society, 19(6), pp. 934-949. doi:10.1177/1461444815625936
- Saker, M. and Evans, L. (2016). Everyday life and locative play: an exploration of Foursquare and playful engagements with space and place. Media, Culture & Society, 38(8), pp. 1169-1183. doi:10.1177/0163443716643149
- Saker, M. and Evans, L. (2016). Locative Media and Identity. SAGE Open, 6(3). doi:10.1177/2158244016662692
- Saker, M. and Evans, L. (2016). Locative mobile media and time: Foursquare and technological memory. First Monday. doi:10.5210/fm.v21i2.6006
Reports (2)
- Saker, M., Mercea, D. and Myers, C.A. (2023). Locating Fear: A pilot study examining the use of a chatbot app to surface embodied experiences of fear in situ. London, UK: School of Policy & Global Affairs, City University of London.
- Saker, M., Mercea, D. and Myers, C.-.A. Wayfaring and the City: Understanding How Commuter Students’ Daily Mobilities Can Shape Their Higher Education Experience. City St George's, University of London: London, UK.
Thesis/dissertation
- Saker, Smartphones and Pervasive Play: An Examination of the Effect Foursquare has on Physical, Spatial and Social Practices. (PhD)