Morgan Ellithorpe
Education
- Ph.D. – The Ohio State University
- M.A. – The Ohio State University
- B.S. – Cornell University
Biography
Morgan Ellithorpe is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware, which she joined in 2020. Her research centers on media psychology, particularly how media use influences human health. She is especially interested in the ways people engage with media actively and strategically to maximize their mental and physical well-being, as well as the times when this strategy fails and results in negative outcomes of media use. She is also interested in aspects of media use that influence enjoyment of media and involvement with media characters.
Ellithorpe's research has been published in outlets such as Journal of Communication, Communication Research, Obesity, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Journal of Sex Research, Social Science and Medicine, and Media Psychology. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health.
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Cutting through complexity
August 12, 2026 | Written by Amy CherryStudy by communication professor finds AI chatbot helps people with disabilities, caregivers navigate service information -
Exploring the positives of digital and social media
July 07, 2026 | Written by CAS Communications StaffUD faculty will spend sabbatical in Germany seeking to identify research gaps on the potential positive impacts of social media use. -
Philly sports fans aren't sleeping much these days, just don't wake them
November 01, 2022 | Written by Anitra Johnson of Delaware News JournalThe Phillies' improbable run has been like a dream for fans, but staying up late to watch World Series games is likely causing challenges for their sleep schedule, especially those with preexisting issues, said Morgan Ellithorpe, assistant professor of communication. "After the game is over," Ellithorpe cautioned, "you still have to work through the arousal part of your body's reaction and find a way to wind down."
