Iván Flores Obregón

Iván Flores Obregón is a Lecturer at Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla and Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), specializing in digital anthropology and digital cultures. His academic work focuses on the intersection of video games, labor, and leisure in Mexican society, particularly examining how amateur gamers transition toward professional digital athletics. He contributes as a Publishing Editor for Platypus, the CASTAC Blog, connecting anthropological research with broader public discourse.

Dr. Flores Obregón's educational background includes:

• PhD in Anthropological Sciences from the Metropolitan Autonomous University, Iztapalapa campus (2018-2023)
• Master's degree in Anthropological Sciences, specializing in Cultural Anthropology, from the Metropolitan Autonomous University, Iztapalapa Unit (2016-2018)
• Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (2007-2012)

His research interests center on digital anthropology, with particular focus on video game cultures, digital labor, and the blurring boundaries between work and leisure in contemporary Mexican society. Dr. Flores explores how digital platforms transform everyday activities into potential economic opportunities, examining the experiences of amateur digital athletes navigating the precarious path toward professionalization. His work bridges anthropology, social psychology, and media studies to understand technological sovereignty and digital identity formation in Latin American contexts.

Dr. Flores's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on digital ethnography and the cultural implications of video games as emerging social phenomena. His recent work examines the materiality of digital technologies, the construction of ethnographic fields in digital spaces, and the paradoxical presence of gaming in contemporary society. These studies reveal patterns in how digital cultures are shaping new forms of labor, identity, and social organization, particularly in Mexican contexts where digital adoption intersects with unique cultural and economic conditions.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Medal of University Merit from the Metropolitan Autonomous University, Iztapalapa Campus (2018)

Dr. Flores actively mentors students through fieldwork placements and has organized numerous academic events, including the International Congress of Digital Ethnographies and the Latin American Meeting of Digital Anthropology. He serves on research committees and contributes to academic discourse through conference presentations and workshops on digital methodologies.

He is actively involved with several research groups including the Psychosocial Academy (ITESO-Ibero Puebla), the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA), and the Youth and Digital Culture Group of UNAM's Youth Research Seminar.