About us

Mission  

CEPEC investigates the systemic dynamics of commercialization and persuasive communication within a networked and mediatized society. We approach these forces not as individual challenges but as structural, relational, and ideological phenomena that shape, and are shaped by, media systems, institutions, and everyday life. 

Focusing on families, parents, children, and youth, we explore how digital infrastructures and market logics configure opportunities for empowerment as well as vulnerabilities to influence. Through multi-methods, interdisciplinary and reflexive research, we aim to advance critical understanding, promote collective responsibility for fair digital environments, and inform policy that supports agency, justice, and well-being across interconnected media systems. 

Vision  

We envision a society that recognizes the systemic nature of commercial and persuasive media, and that empowers individuals, families, and communities to critically engage with these media in ways that protect their autonomy, well-being, and values. Rather than placing responsibility solely on individuals, we envision collective resilience and structural accountability as foundations for ethical and sustainable media environments. 
 
Our goal is to contribute to audience-centered ethical and sustainable media environments by integrating critical debate, reflexivity, and systematic analysis of (commercial) communication practices into research and policy development.  
Ultimately, we aim to empower institutions, educators, and communities to critically engage with commercial systems, challenge harmful ideologies, and co-create equitable and empowering digital futures for all.

Research expertise 

Our research expertise spans across five research labs that strongly collaborate: 

• Commercial Childhood 
• Parents and Platforms 
• Dark Consumption 
• Child-Driven Change
• Influencer Culture