"As long as the digital landscape alters our relationship with reality, continuing research on the human and psychological aspects of this transformation is crucial," according to Claudia López Madrigal, a 2018/2019 Masters of Social Science Research (MSSR) student at the University of Navarra.

Claudia López Madrigal is from Mexico City and studied psychology at the Universidad Panamericana. She is currently studying the MSSR thanks to a grant from the Social Trends Institute and, in her thesis, seeks to understand the psychological and social implications that arise from young people’s digital consumption practices. She enrolled in the MSSR to complement her studies since she believes that, "studying the mind and behavior becomes an impossible task if we do not understand and investigate the context surrounding it."

She highlights the importance of examining the use of digital media because they are not neutral tools. She confirms that young people use messaging systems and social networks as substitutes for other activities that are crucial for their development. This leads many to confuse the digital and real worlds, "converting their consumption practices into a continuous search for approval and connection with others and resulting in serious psychological and social damage," she notes, citing problems such as anxiety, identity issues, depression, impatience and loneliness.

This Mexican student considers the MSSR the ideal place to expand her training and research on these issues because the Institute for Culture and Society, a humanities and social sciences research center at the University of Navarra, coordinates it. "Not only does it offer methodological research tools, but it also promotes proposals that seek social change," she explains.

• Read the full interview on the Social Trends Institute’s website

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