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Dissertation Javier Hernandez691.33 kB
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Dissertation
Siempre en vivo: nuevos productos culturales en la era digital
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Spring 2025
DOI: 10.25820/etd.007827
Abstract
This creative thesis consists of an analytical introduction followed by La corriente, a 120-page novel exploring the impact of digital media on mass culture through the life of Andrés, a successful video game streamer. Despite his fame and financial stability, Andrés suffers from loneliness, depression, and a growing sense of alienation. The novel examines how streaming platforms, built on parasocial relationships, blur the distinction between personal and professional life, making entertainment an extension of labor.
Exhausted by his role as “ElPrimoHermano”, Andrés considers quitting but receives an invitation to TwitchCon in Tokyo, a long-time dream destination. This opportunity intensifies his internal conflict. In preparation for the event, he seeks psychological help through an AI therapist and develops an obsession with a lesser-known streamer.
The novel alternates between first and third-person perspectives, integrating Andrés’ childhood in Colombia and his present struggles. Thematically, it draws from thinkers like Adorno, Horkheimer, and García Canclini to analyze the monetization of alienation and the illusion of community in digital spaces. The work questions the promise of democratized expression in the internet era, highlighting the tension between mass connectivity and genuine human connection.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Siempre en vivo: nuevos productos culturales en la era digital
- Creators
- Javier Hernández Feris
- Contributors
- Brian Gollnick (Advisor)Horacio Castellanos Moya (Advisor)Ana M Rodríguez Rodríguez (Committee Member)Luis Muñoz (Committee Member)Roxanna Curto (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Spanish
- Date degree season
- Spring 2025
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.007827
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- v, 143 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2025 Javier Hernández Feris
- Language
- Spanish
- Date submitted
- 04/25/2025
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 24-25).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
- This creative thesis consists of an analytical introduction followed by La corriente, a novel about Andrés, a popular video game streamer whose life revolves around performing for an online audience. Though he has financial success, he faces deep loneliness and struggles with his identity, trapped in an industry that turns personal interaction into a business. Streaming platforms promise community but often leave creators isolated, their labor seamlessly blending with entertainment consumption. Andrés, exhausted by his persona, “ElPrimoHermano”, wants to quit. However, an invitation to TwitchCon in Tokyo complicates his decision. In the months leading up to the event, he seeks psychological help through an AI therapist and becomes obsessed with a small streamer who represents everything he feels he has lost. The novel explores the rise of digital entertainment as an extension of work. Drawing from cultural theorists, it examines how platforms like Twitch profit from relationships between creators and audiences. Through Andrés’ story, La corriente questions whether digital spaces truly democratize voices or simply replicate existing power structures. The novel invites readers to reflect on the consequences of living a life shaped entirely for public consumption, where every moment can be monetized but genuine human connection remains elusive.
- Academic Unit
- Spanish and Portuguese
- Record Identifier
- 9984830922902771
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