Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú, PhD

Autistic researcher in media literacy and digital culture. My research examines how digital media configure identities, communities, and narratives, with a particular focus on social media, persuasive communication, transmedia storytelling, fandom, and participatory cultures. I am especially interested in the digital experiences of children and young people and the social, cultural, and educational implications of current media environments.

Associate Professor at UNIR (International University of La Rioja, Spain) and Teacher Training Coordinator of the School of Internet Didactics (EDI) within the Faculty of Economics and Business. PhD in Communication in the field of Educommunication and Media Literacy (University of Huelva), MA in Communication and Audiovisual Education (UHU), BA in Advertising and Public Relations (University of Alicante), and Certificate of Higher Education in Plastic Arts and Design – Illustration (Massana School of Barcelona).

Beyond my academic role, I actively contribute to international research networks and scholarly initiatives. I serve as a Key Regional Leader in the TikTok Cultures Research Network, Section Editor & Social Media Manager for the Revista Mediterránea de Comunicación / Mediterranean Journal of Communication (Scopus Q1/Q2), and a member of the editorial board of Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (JCR-SSCI Q1). I am also affiliated with the COYSODI Research Group at UNIR and collaborate with the COMPUBES Research Group at the University of Alicante. Previously, I was a member of the Influencer Ethnography Research Lab (IERLab).

Last articles

Mapping InMeDiT Capital: A conceptual framework for post-digital families in a gaseous society

Antonia Ramírez-García, Daniel Macías-Fernández, Irina Salcines-Talledo, Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú, M. Pilar Gutiérrez-Arenas

Societies, vol. 16(5), 2026

“Get ready with me for school”: childhood and adolescence commercialization through branded beauty videos on TikTok

Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú, Bárbara Castillo-Abdul, Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez

Young Consumers, 2026

The sign-sync trend on TikTok: navigating engagement and digital accessibility in music challenges

Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú, Mariola Moreno, Margarita Gil-Jerez

Information, Communication & Society, vol. 29(1), 2026, pp. 131-150

Rethinking family prosumption and media competence: Legitimizing children’s technology use in multi-device households

Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú, Mónica Bonilla-del-Río, Sabina Civila

Education and Information Technologies, 2026

To be fit, or not to be: How influencer-driven advertising reinforces idealized beauty standards in adolescents

Beatriz Feijoo, Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú

Journal of Marketing Communications, vol. 32(4), 2026, pp. 414-429

View all

[Chapters] Book

Books

Transdisciplinary perspectives on sharenting. Parenting, privacy, and consent

2026, Gergely Ferenc Lendvai, Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú, Anca Velicu & András Koltay

Ferenc Lendvai, G., Vizcaíno-Verdú, A., Velicu, A., & Koltay, A. (2026). Transdisciplinary perspectives on sharenting. Parenting, privacy, and consent. Taylor & Francis, Routledge.

Chapters Book

Prosumidores en formación: alfabetización ética y responsabilidad comunicativa en la infancia y en la adolescencia

2026, Beatriz Feijoo, Patricia Núñez-Gómez y Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú

Feijoo, B., Núñez-Gómez, P., & Vizcaíno-Verdú, A. (2026). Prosumidores en formación: alfabetización ética y responsabilidad comunicativa en la infancia y en la adolescencia (pp. 119-132). Nau Llibres.

De la pizarra al trending topic: docentes que conquistan redes sociales [From blackboard to trending topic: teachers captivating social media]

2023, Mónica Bonilla-del-Río, Elizabeth-Guadalupe Rojas-Estrada & Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú

This chapter focuses on the motivations driving educators’ prominence on social media, ranging from the desire to disseminate their pedagogical methodologies to the intention of inspiring future generations.

View all

Projects

2025-2028. Alfabetización ética de los adolescentes ante la persuasión comercial en la era digital. DIGETHICA

This project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, aims to examine the impact of commercial content on young audiences and to provide ethical training for both receiving and producing persuasive messages.

2025-2029. Implementación de la minería de datos y la inteligencia artificial en la prevención de autolesiones, suicidas y no suicidas. PREVENSUIX

ERDF/FEDER-funded research project applying data mining and artificial intelligence to detect and prevent self-harm and suicidal behaviours, developing predictive models and decision-support tools for early risk identification and intervention.

2024-2026. La incidencia del marketing de influencers en la construcción de la identidad digital de los adolescentes. INFLUIDENTITY

This project, funded by UNIR’s Vice-Rectorate for Research, examines how influencers shape the digital identities of children and adolescents, with the goal of encouraging ethical and moral reflection on their impact.

2023-2025. Influencers: Difusión y prevención de conductas autolesivas en los adolescentes. INFLUSUI-X

This project, funded by ITEI at UNIR, explores the impact of influencer content on the prevention of self-injurious behaviors among adolescents.

2023-2025. Entre lo saludable y el culto al físico. Incidencia del contenido publicado por fitinfluencers en el cuidado del cuerpo de los adolescentes. TEEN_ONFIT

This project, funded by ITEI at UNIR, explores how content created by fitness influencers impacts adolescents' body care practices and examines the role of body image ideals.

View all