e-Repositori UPF :: Master in Digital Culture and Emerging Media. Master thesis

Recent Submissions

Technological optimism or automation anxiety? mapping discourses on data scientists job displacement by AI
(2025) Samokhina, Olga
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence caused widespread public discussions concerning its benefits and risks. AI's impact on jobs is one of the central topics in this debate: while some argue that AI leads to workforce displacement, others adopt the augmentation perspective, considering it an opportunity to enhance human capabilities rather than replace them. This research aims to discover the perceptions and sentiments of data scientists - AI practitioners - regarding AI's ability to replace them. To reach this goal, 784 posts shared on LinkedIn - a platform for professional development and networking - were analysed. With LDA topic modeling and zero-shot sentiment analysis, social media discourses around data scientists' job displacement were mapped. The results demonstrate that specialists consider AI an augmenting technology that does not entirely disrupt their profession but nudges them to upskill and evolve. Simultaneously, a few pessimistic viewpoints associated with fear of layoffs and AI agents' functionality were revealed.
Surveillance: exposure and resistance through art practices : A proposal for an exhibition script, framed as a challenge-oriented project by the Center for Contemporary Culture of Barcelona.
(2025) Martuzalski , Mateusz; Barbour , Vanina
The project Surveillance: exposure and resistance through art practices is a curatorial exhibition script proposal that explores how contemporary art practices reveal and contest surveillance mechanisms for control purposes in digital societies. The exhibition script was developed as part of the challenge-oriented project by the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), adapted to the type, vision and space of the Center. The curators propose an exhibition consisting of three main sections: a timeline depicting the evolution of artistic responses to different surveillance techniques and apparatus, from 1791 until now, and two sections approaching surveillance from the perspectives of exposure and resistance. The timeline created is a prototype of the intended final version. It starts from the design of the Panopticon by Betham in 1791, as the authors deemed it an important event to the context of the exhibition proposed. It ties to the concept of self surveillance likewise seen with contemporary time government and capital surveillance. Special emphasis has been placed on reaching out to local and underground artists and researchers, providing a deeper understanding of the local scene and socio-cultural context. The project proposes a four-month exhibition featuring contemporary artistic interventions, experts and publics’ reflection and public participation and interaction. The exhibition invites visitors to critically engage with the dynamics of power, visibility and control in the digital age.
Smart cities: the role of digital tools and data-driven development in shaping the german city of Hanover
(2025) Hobusch , Marie Louisa
Hanover is one of 73 chosen German municipalities to be financially supported by the federal government to transform itself into a smart city. Smart cities are defined by using data-driven development and digital tools to enhance their urban fabric and better meet inhabitants’ needs. The government has published guidelines that shall be followed but individually interpreted by each city through smart city initiatives. This research uses qualitative research to conduct semi-structured interviews with three of Hanover’s smart city experts and three members of neighbourhood organisations to discuss the role digital transformation shall play. Results showcase the city’s focus on the use of technology and data collection to respond to ecological and infrastructural challenges. While social challenges are being met with the offering of analogue citizen meet-ups, the city lacks smartness in terms of fostering emotional bonds, connecting citizens and creating liveability through local initiatives.
Jugar con el arte: un videojuego para la educación artística
(2025) Fiorillo, Carolina
El acceso al arte, a pesar de ser fundamental, sigue presentando dificultades para una gran parte del público (especialmente entre los más jóvenes) debido a la falta de las herramientas y conocimientos necesarios. Nuevas formas para hacer más accesible la educación artística a este público se hacen entonces necesarias. Para este propósito, se propone utilizar el formato de los videojuegos, el cual aporta diversión e inmersión. Mediante la revisión del potencial educativo de los videojuegos, se ha llegado a la conclusión de que el medio ofrece muchas ventajas y puede suponer una experiencia eficaz al seguir pautas técnicas y psicológicas específicas que eviten la frustración y la sobrecarga cognitiva. El contenido del proyecto se inspira y toma referencias de los estilos y corrientes artísticas históricas. El diseño de prototipo desarrollado para el proyecto se centra, por su parte, en las corrientes artísticas japonesas de inicios del siglo XX. Además, se han tomado como referencia otros videojuegos, tanto en su aspecto mecánico como estético. El resultado es el diseño de un prototipo en papel que demuestra el potencial del concepto.
New andalusianism: asserting Andalusia’s cultural uniqueness and visibility through folklore
(2025) Rubio Cupalova , Natalia
The cultural movement of Nuevo Andalucismo [New Andalusianism] is predominantly youth-driven and closely tied to social media. Emerging from sentiments of geographical, political, and cultural periphery, the movement is rooted in anxieties about cultural assertion within a globalized society and in cultural settings shaped by hegemonic uniformity. These tensions are expressed through a turn towards traditional folklore, reimagined via a critical-creative process that produces a renewed version of local folklore in social media spaces, conceptualized as neofolklore. As the definition of Andalusian neofolklore is complex, this research employs digital ethnographic approaches to analyze its expressive practices on Instagram and TikTok shared by young artists and (micro-)influencers engaged in the rhetorics of New Andalusianism. The analysis is conducted through a multimodal and narrative approach inspired by new materialist theories, contributing to research on peripheral youth cultures in mediatized contexts.
Cozy players, clase social y género: análisis interseccional de la definición cultural de bienestar a través de los discursos y prácticas videolúdicas juveniles
(2025) Boudount Kouach, Sheila
Esta propuesta de investigación analiza cómo la juventud construye el imaginario cultural del bienestar a través de discursos y prácticas vinculadas a los ‘cozy games’, considerando la intersección entre clase social y género. A partir de un enfoque cualitativo y etnográfico, se explorarán las experiencias de jóvenes ‘cozy players’ de entre 18 y 24 años, segmentados por clase y género, mediante grupos focales, entrevistas individuales en situación de juego (gaming interviews), observación participante y análisis de contenido en redes sociales. El objetivo es comprender cómo estos videojuegos, populares tras la pandemia de COVID-19, funcionan como espacios simbólicos de refugio, bienestar y que, asimismo, conllevan una contradicción ideológica. Esta investigación se enmarca en un creciente interés por este tipo de videojuegos y es relevante por la escasa atención académica al fenómeno desde la perspectiva de los ‘cozy players’ y con una mirada interseccional, y por su potencial para revelar cómo la juventud reinterpreta el bienestar en un contexto sociocultural marcado por tensiones neoliberales, precariedad y transformación digital.
Mi papá es un computador, yo soy un Macbook Pro: investigación y desarrollo de una historia interactiva
(2025) Frías Valenzuela, Josefina
Este estudio responde a la necesidad de producir narrativas que aborden los conflictos comunicativos y de convivencia que enfrentan los grupos familiares. Para ello se desarrolla una historia interactiva centrada en la polarización afectiva dentro de la familia. A nivel teórico se contextualiza la polarización como un conflicto intergeneracional y emotivo, mediado por diversos medios digitales. Además se define a la familia como una institución cuyas prácticas comunicativas se han mediatizado, y por último, se abordan las principales características de la literatura interactiva. Metodológicamente, se presenta un análisis de referentes hipertextuales, de los que se desprenden los objetivos interactivos del prototipo. Se presenta el diseño de una historia con ramificaciones, su desarrollo en la plataforma Twine y el posterior procedimiento experimental del prototipo. En la discusión se abordan los resultados del procedimiento, las mejoras en navegación y usabilidad, y los posibles aportes del prototipo dentro del campo de la literatura interactiva.
Media, memory, and the texture of nostalgia: analog aesthetics in Charlotte Wells’ aftersun
(2025) Alari, Clelia
This dissertation examines the use of analog aesthetics in Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun to explore memory, nostalgia, and emotional mediation in contemporary cinema. Focusing on the film’s camcorder footage, it analyzes how analog textures, such as grain, flicker, and shakiness, express fragmented, intimate memories while reflecting a wider cultural resurgence of analog media in the digital era. Drawing on film theory as well as media and cultural studies, the research shows how Aftersun uses these imperfections to evoke emotional authenticity and contrast with digital clarity. The film’s formal choices position analog aesthetics as a powerful tool for shaping personal and collective memory, emphasizing nostalgia’s tactile and affective qualities. Ultimately, I argue that Aftersun not only portrays memory but also actively shapes the viewer’s emotional engagement, highlighting the ongoing cultural significance of analog nostalgia in a digital age.
Immersive journalism and the Darién Gap: Developing an expert-guided VR prototype on the migrant journey
(2025) Klajnowska, Julia
Immersive journalism (IJ) introduces new opportunities for audiences to actively engage with stories through cognitive and physical interaction. Virtual reality (VR) enhances this by offering first-person experiences capable of evoking emotions beyond traditional media’s reach. This practice-based project explores the ongoing migration crisis in the Darién Gap — a perilous region between Panama and Colombia — as a compelling context for socially engaged IJ. It proposes a VR experience placing users in the perspective of a migrant, aiming to evoke empathy and prompt ethical reflection on the systems shaping migration. Using qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews with immersive media experts and a complementary interview with migrants, the project develops a VR script prototype while addressing ethical, narrative, and practical challenges. Key considerations include audience agency, accessibility, responsible storytelling, and transparent integration of emerging technologies. The project highlights VR’s potential to humanize complex crises while advocating for community-informed, ethically grounded journalism.
Innovation in Film Festivals: An Immersive Strategy for the +RAIN Film Festival
(2025) Manzanares Cegarra, Teresa; Ibsen Castillo, Antonia; Zhou, Yulei
This research explores innovative strategies for enhancing audience engagement at film festivals in the digital age, with a specific focus on the +RAIN Film Festival. Drawing on a robust theoretical framework encompassing film festival studies, digital culture, interactivity and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative industries, the study addresses the opportunities and challenges arising from the proliferation of emerging technologies. Employing a challenge-oriented, qualitative case study and content analysis approach, the study analyzes how immersive and intrecative models can bridge existing gaps in audience participation by responding to the needs and gratifications of different types of publics, while upholding the core values of community and artistic exchange. The proposal highlights the transformative potential of AI-driven creative practices within cinema, and presents a dual strategy for strengthen +RAIN’s impact: a professional-facing co-creation studio and a public-facing immersive installation. Through the case study of the +RAIN Film Festival, this thesis offers practical recommendations for festival innovation, aiming to balance tradition with digital advancement and ensure sustained relevance for contemporary audiences. The research contributes to academic discourse on cultural innovation and provides actionable insights for practitioners navigating the evolving landscape of film festivals.
Analysis of Female Character Design in Honkai: Star Rail
(2024) Zheng, Hao
With Honkai: Star Rail becoming globally popular, more and more anime games are coming into the public’s attention. The commercialization means decided by the gacha mechanism, that developers will put more effort into the portrayal of female characters, so as to attract the male consumer group of ACG and otaku culture. The controversy over the stereotypes and sexual objectification design of female characters has also attracted the attention and discussion of gamers. As the design of game characters is complex, this study will address two research questions from a post-feminist perspective by combining game mechanics and narrative to analyze how Honkai: Star Rail designs its female characters and how players perceive this character design.
Sympathy for the devil - The perception of morally-ambiguous characters in video games
(2024) Rohmer, Amelie
This article is an exploration of players’ perception of video game characters that are neither presented as heroes nor villains but can rather be classified as morally-ambiguous. This research focuses on the significance of identification and transportation and connects character likability and in-favor choices for playable characters, to see how players make sense of morality in video games. In order to understand how individual players perceive characters and interpret the narrative, seven players were first observed while playing the video game Man of Medan and later interviewed via semi-structured interviews. The results show that the process of identification is driven by various factors that will also influence the players’ decision process regarding morality. The study recognizes three different Player types, based on players’ behavior within the narrative, that help identify players’ needs and goals within the gaming experience.
Social/Ideological Analysis of The Sims Saga with a Focus on Love Relationships
(2024) Olszewska, Dominika
This study explores the socio-ideological implications of love relationships in the popular simulation game, The Sims. As a cultural artifact, this game provides a unique lens through which to examine contemporary social constructs. By employing textual analysis of video games and playtesting experiments, this research investigates how the game portrays romantic relations and reinforces norms and values associated with them. Through two specific gameplay scenarios – a heterosexual couple pursuing a liquid love relationship and a homosexual couple striving for a conservative love relationship – the coexistence and potential conflicts between conservative and liquid love. The combination of theoretical insights with practical observations deepens understanding of how virtual representations in The Sims reflect and shape societal perceptions of love, contributing to broader discussions on diversity, inclusion, and the cultural impact of video games. This research seeks to provide game creators with insights for developing more socially aware and inclusive gaming experiences.
Potential of Extended Reality for Collective Dance Exergaming
(2024) Rennerova, Michelle; Cehajic, Emina; Müller, Salome
This project aims to understand the potential of extended reality (XR) for collective dance exergaming, through an approach that challenges the traditional score-oriented paradigms of game design, advocating for a model that prioritizes social engagement and inclusivity. Furthermore, by making the parallel between the change of four seasons and change of human mental states, the project highlights the potential of exergaming for the improvement of well-being. Through the development of a theoretical framework, this study overviews the evolution of dance games, as well as synthesizes concepts from exergaming, full-body interaction, and collaborative dance within XR environments. The analysis leads to an understanding of the affordances and constraints inherent in XR technologies, particularly as they pertain to the design and implementation of a collective dance exergame. This research contributes to the existing literature by outlining practical development through an experience design and theoretical insights for the development of XR-based dance exergame.
Relocating the Sacred to the Algorithmized Self: Construction of Algorithmic Conspirituality on TikTok from the perspective of Human-AI Interaction
(2024) Yessengarayeva, Gaini
This work contributes to an emerging corpus of knowledge about algorithmic conspirituality on TikTok, inviting to pay special attention to the role of algorithmically mediated self that takes part in the formation of magical heuristics about AI-powered recommender systems. The main objective of this research proposal is to interpret the meaning-making processes surrounding algorithmic conspirituality among TikTok users. This research proposal invites to extend existing theorization on algorithmic conspirituality by investigating specific perceptual and experiential processes of AI-based algorithmic recommender system that take place in the construction of this phenomenon. The initial inference suggests that affective encounters with algorithmized self foster self-reflection, at the same time as they activate sense-making processes about algorithmic work. This way, algorithmic conspirituality situates the algorithmized self as a transcendent self that guides the already-existing-self towards self-cultivation. Ultimately, conspiritual beliefs about the algorithms is a manifestation of relocation of the divine to the digital and the self. With this in mind, we propose a qualitative multi-method approach built upon a combination of media diary, focus group, questionnaire and interview techniques. This combination of participatory personal and collective narratives of embodied algorithmic perceptions and experiences will allow to address algorithmic conspirituality from a variety of perspectives.
Cultura Viral: un guion de exposición en colaboración con el Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
(2024) González Cabezas, Inés
Este proyecto crea un guión de exposición que fomenta el debate y la divulgación sobre la viralidad. Explora sus diversas manifestaciones e impacto en la sociedad, desde el humor hasta su influencia en movimientos sociales y políticos. Desarrollado en el marco de la investigación aplicada con la colaboración del Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), el resultado final se ha ajustado a los estándares institucionales mediante un proceso colaborativo que incluyó reuniones de orientación y retroalimentación con jefes de exposiciones del centro. El guión se basa en referencias y lecturas académicas, lo que incluye el análisis y la revisión de trabajos académicos anteriores. El resultado final es un guión de exposición completo y estructurado en capítulos temáticos que guían la visita. A través de una narrativa que trata la viralidad como fenómeno cultural, se promueve la reflexión crítica y el debate sobre su papel en la sociedad contemporánea.
Cooperation or competition: a qualitative art-based study on serbian teachers’ perspectives on AI integration in education
(2024) Jovanovic, Tijana
The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its tools in education requires more attention because of their impact on individuals involved, rather than merely affecting the technical aspects of teaching. Nowadays, we wonder about the destiny of teachers’ role with the existence of AI in education, opening a debate on the possible replacement of human educators. Therefore the question arises: are teachers in a position to cooperate or compete with the newest inventions? This research aims to examine Serbian teachers’ perceptions of AI implications in education and personal relations to AI, through qualitative research methods complemented by art-based method. Finally, the process of participation will end in the co-creation of a set of guidelines for successful AI implementation.
Digital innovation on cultural journalism: a comparative study and prototype based on Clarín and Infobae
(2024) Chaieb, Sofia
The journalism industry is facing a crisis, driven by the emergence of new audiences, the development of certain technologies, the need for skilled professionals, and budget constraints. Cultural sections are also challenged by a decline in critical and analytical engagement. Through a quantitative content analysis, this study aims to examine the use of digital journalism resources in articles published in the cultural sections of the websites of Infobae and Clarín from Argentina during March 2024. Since this research is based on a theoretical-practical modality, the purpose will be to analyze the frequency of use of these features and develop a prototype that integrates these tools to make greater use of information in this field.
Uso de la IA generativa en los procesos de creación de NPCs en los estudios indie de desarrollo de videojuegos
(2024) Vegas Rodríguez, Christopher
Si bien aún no tenemos resultados, la literatura apunta a que la Inteligencia artificial generativa ya se está incorporando a los flujos de trabajo dentro de la industria del videojuego, utilizándose mayormente para hacer más eficiente los procesos de modelado de personajes, el reconocimiento y procesamiento de lenguaje natural y, en general, para hacer de los personajes no-jugador (NPCs por sus siglas en inglés) entes más naturales en su interacción con el jugador. El objetivo de esta investigación es explorar los usos que se le está dando a la inteligencia artificial generativa en la creación de NPCs dentro de los estudios independientes de desarrollo de videojuegos, para los cuales propondremos una definición operativa para esta investigación. Además, procederemos a explorar en qué partes del proceso se utiliza más asiduamente y cuáles son los modelos más utilizados por los profesionales del sector independiente. Para obtener estos resultados, conduciremos una metodología mixta (quant-QUAL), utilizando la encuesta y entrevistas indirectas como métodos principales.
Su Barcelona: A website proposal encouraging sustainable tourism in Barcelona
(2024) Taylor, Stephen
Though a major global industry, tourism’s negative impact on the environment frequently comes under scrutiny. In Barcelona, large proportions of the resident population have grown frustrated by what they consider overtourism throughout the city. Within the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the UN address the environmental, economic and sociocultural issues that increased tourism has on tourist destinations. This paper adopts a framework grounded in behavioural theories to propose a novel approach to tackle the sustainability challenges that tourists often create. Applying behavioural interventions into the digital sphere, a website proposal is developed to provide a multifaceted communications platform with a user-centred approach to encourage an increase in sustainable and environmentally friendly behaviours by tourists whilst visiting Barcelona.

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