Lecturer, Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla
Lecturer, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
Contributing Editor, Platypus, The CASTAC Blog
Research Interests
Digital Anthropology | Digital Art | ethnography | Labor | Latin America | Leisure | Mexico | Video games | Work |
About Iván
Ph.D. in Anthropological Sciences from the Metropolitan Autonomous University, Iztapalapa campus. I am a lecturer at the Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla and at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies, Puebla campus. My doctoral project focused on the transition from gaming to sports and work in the case of young Mexican video gamers aspiring to become professional digital athletes.
Contact
Contributions to Platypus, The CASTAC Blog
View all of Iván's posts on Platypus, The CASTAC Blog.
Chaotic Oscillation: Understanding the Paradoxical Presence of Video Games in Contemporary Society
Common sense tells us that play and work are opposing categories. However, in our society we often encounter situations where the boundaries between these two categories become difficult to distinguish. It’s common that people earn money from hobbies—activities not typically associated with the effort required for any form of work, mostly because they are fun. These include recording oneself dancing on the street, doing product unboxings, or streaming while playing video games. The variety of activities that can now be monetized is vast; almost any activity can become a niche ready to be used by the market to maintain a consumerist dynamic. (more…) (read more...)