From Marketing to Cyberpsychology at 45

[Ariadna Vilalta Vaqué]

I would like to say experience and age is a good combo to embrace a brave change in your career path.

But it is not.

I am leaving behind 20 years of experience working in Marketing and PR, to embrace a dream, a desire, my other passion: psychology.

I thought it would be somehow a less bumpy path though! 

Supposedly, these 2 areas have lots in common: both disciplines aim to influence people's decisions and attitudes, but they do so from different perspectives.

Here my list of what I came up till now:

Study of human behavior:

1. • Marketing studies how consumers make purchasing decisions, what motivates them, how they react to different advertising strategies, and how they perceive brands.
   • Cyberpsychology, on the other hand, focuses on how people interact with technology and the digital environment, analyzing the impact of technology on the mind and human behavior.
2. Influence and persuasion:
   • Both seek to influence emotions, attitudes, and behaviors, but with different goals. Marketing aims to guide consumers toward making purchasing decisions, while cyberpsychology may study how digital platforms affect mental health, social interaction, or even technology addiction.
3. Digital interaction:
   • Digital marketing uses tools like social media, online advertising, and data analysis to reach consumers.
   • Cyberpsychology studies how individuals experience, perceive, and react to these digital platforms, investigating the effects of interacting with technology on their emotional and cognitive well-being.
4. Segmentation and personalization:
   • In marketing, audience segmentation and personalization of shopping experiences are key to maximizing results.
   • In cyberpsychology, understanding how people respond to personalized content and recommendation algorithms is crucial for understanding their influence on behavior.

I could say, I went from TRYING TO SELL using tech with marketing knowledge optimizing sales and promotions, to  try to protect and investigate the psychological and emotional effects of technology in human beings.

I feel I can do SO MUCH!

But I also feel nobody see me or my experience and knowledge. 

Am I the only one embracing cyberpsychology from the outside and feeling alone?

Very happy though to be part of this Association! Thank you!