Vulnerability Commercialization in Digital Environments: An Empirical Study on Emotional Exposure, Social Validation, and Well-Being in Young College Students

Polo-Escobar B.R.; Suárez-Carreño F.; Polo-Moreano R.E.; Machacuay Meza C.I. · Prisma Social (2026) · DOI: 10.65598/rps.6163

Resumen

In recent decades, the expansion of digital platforms has intensified the public visibility of emotional experiences, configuring an environment in which vulnerability is inscribed in dynamics of recognition and symbolic performance. This study analyzes the relationship between emotional exposure in social networks, digital validation, social comparison, and perceived stress in the Latin American university population. A sequential mixed design was adopted that combined content analysis of 500 public publications and a survey of 400 students. The results show that emotional exposure is positively associated with perceived stress, an effect partially mediated by social validation and interpersonal comparison. Likewise, content with greater emotional intensity presents higher levels of interaction, which suggests the existence of amplification logics in the digital ecosystem. It is concluded that digital vulnerability is a complex relational phenomenon, where recognition and discomfort can coexist.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería; Universidad de Lima; Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas