Abbey Rodriguez

Sociology: Digital sociology within the creator economy, AI, and Big Tech; quantitative + qualitative research methods

Abbey Rodriguez, a current MA Sociology student, specializes in digital sociology, with a research focus on her thesis, "The Politics of the Creator Economy." She received her BA in Sociology in 2023 from George Mason University. She is the founder of a food creator company that focuses on education and advocacy for the creator economy. With over 14 years in the field as a content creator, published cookbook author, and educator, she works closely with key stakeholders and members that make up the ecosystem of the creator space within digital media and technology. She is uniquely positioned as an expert within a burgeoning industry that is rapidly changing how society uses and shares data and information. Her research interests within digital sociology also include globalization of Big Tech and AI.

Current Research

Rodriguez is working on her thesis, "The Politics of the Creator Economy" which outlines the ecosystem of the creator economy, how it operates, and its potential as a sustainable decentralized business model amongst Big Tech monopolies.

Previous research includes Rodriguez's undergraduate Capstone Project, "Social Class, Mental Health, and its Relationship with Social Media Use," (2021). The purpose of this study was to understand how individuals of different social classes use and experience social media. The data found that the individuals from a lower social class background spend more time on social media as a way to pass time, compared with those of a higher social class group, who use social media with more firm time boundaries and a motive of maintaining their professional networks or furthering their knowledge and education. Additionally, the data found that those individuals who reported mental health conditions also showed a tendency to use social media longer, or to a further extreme where it pushed their limits, which could suggest that mental health could be influencing social media use habits, as opposed to current research, which suggests that social media use is causing poor mental health outcomes.

Selected Publications

Kurdyla, J., & Rodriguez, A. (2021). Root & Nourish: An Herbal Cookbook for Women’s Wellness. New York, NY. S&S/Simon Element.

Education

BA, George Mason University, 2023

MA, George Mason University, estimated completion 2025

In the Media

Interview. Purcell, D. (2024). "Summer Fancy Food Show Preview with Abbey Rodriguez, Tastemaker Conference." Spill & Dish: An SFA Podcast. Heritage Radio Network.