{"id":172157,"date":"2026-01-20T12:39:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T18:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=172157"},"modified":"2026-01-30T15:10:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:10:37","slug":"digital-society-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/education-and-humanism\/digital-society-lab\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Society Lab: Putting People at the Center of Technology and the Humanities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How can machine learning be used to study screen time and its impact on children’s development? What insights can be gained by analyzing documents from the time of the Colonization using artificial intelligence<\/a> (AI) models?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are just a few of the questions being explored at the Digital Society Lab, an initiative housed within the School of Humanities and Education<\/a> (EHE) at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey. Here, researchers blend the humanities with innovation and digital technologies to tackle pressing social issues in Mexico and Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Digital Society Lab is a place where interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research becomes a reality, where the voices of those experiencing social phenomena are central to project design<\/strong>,” says Luz Mar\u00eda Moreno<\/a>, Dean of Research at the EHE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Luz Mar\u00eda Moreno, Dean of the EHE at Tec de Monterrey. (Photo: Tec de Monterrey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She explains that the lab is committed to applied research\u2014that serves people and is guided by utility, ethics, and a strong sense of responsibility. The goal is for Tec, as a university, to listen to what\u2019s happening in communities and respond with solutions rooted in the digital humanities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, combining technology with disciplines like history, literature, or philosophy to better understand and transform reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ecosystem is made up of research hubs focused on three areas of impact, where lab researchers collaborate with communities, organizations, businesses, and governments on a wide range of projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Technologies to Revitalize Languages and Cultural Heritage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the lab\u2019s research hubs leverages technology to help revitalize Indigenous languages and foster greater cultural exchange. Among the projects being developed in this area are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tsotsil Literacy with AI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In partnership with the state Department of Education in the Highlands of Chiapas, the EHE is leading an initiative to create a bilingual literacy platform<\/a> that learns the Tsotsil language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim is to enable communities with limited access to education to communicate in both Spanish and Tsotsil, making it easier for them to acquire additional skills. The platform is designed to work on both mobile devices and computers, even without internet access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ch\u2019ulel Neurohumanities Lab<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project is also developing a space\u2014modeled after a similar lab already operating<\/a> at Tec de Monterrey\u2014where the worldview of regional Indigenous peoples such as the Tsotsil, Tseltal, and Zoque is explored through their languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Tsotsil, when someone greets you, they\u2019re referring to how your heart is doing\u2014it\u2019s not just a simple \u2018hello.\u2019 That\u2019s why the lab is called Ch\u2019ulel, a word that refers to consciousness, but one that\u2019s tied to spirituality, the body, and the community,\u201d explains the dean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fair Trade for Women Artisans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In partnership with the Center for Social Innovation<\/a> (CIS) at Tec\u2019s campus in San Crist\u00f3bal de Las Casas, Chiapas, a team from the lab is working to support Indigenous women\u2019s cooperatives involved in traditional crafts by providing them with digital tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re putting technology at the service of women artisans so they can market and distribute their products directly\u2014cutting out the middlemen who often take a large share of their work\u2019s value. The goal is to support them in building a system that gives them access to fair trade,\u201d adds Stella Moreno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digitization of Historical Archives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This initiative is focused on preserving and digitizing historical materials such as manuscripts, chronicles, and visual records, allowing history to be reconstructed from different perspectives\u2014especially those of Indigenous peoples, which have often been excluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, the team is working on projects analyzing the colonial archives of Latin America, using AI models to digitize documents. This work is being carried out by researchers such as Patricia Murrieta<\/a>, Paloma Vargas, and Carolina Sacrist\u00e1n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Evaluating the Relationship Between Early Childhood and Technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another research hub within the Digital Society Lab focuses on studying the effects of digital technologies on the cognitive, emotional, and social development of young children during their early years. This team uses data analysis technologies and neuroscience to identify patterns and trends in how electronic devices are used and in the quality of content consumed during this critical stage of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impact of Screen Time in Early Childhood<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers are currently investigating how early interactions with digital devices\u2014such as smartphones and tablets\u2014affect children\u2019s development from birth to age six. In collaboration with the Early Childhood Center<\/a>, a joint initiative of Tec de Monterrey and Fundaci\u00f3n FEMSA, the team is studying factors such as the time children spend in front of screens<\/strong> and the role of caregivers in guiding and selecting content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a joint effort with the Early Childhood Center, which has a flagship project for a longitudinal study that takes multiple variables into account and uses technologies like machine learning. At the EHE, we\u2019re working to understand the effects of screen use, and we\u2019re aiming to compare those findings with similar data from other Latin American countries,\u201d explains the dean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Monitoring Digital Media and Disinformation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The lab\u2019s third research hub is dedicated to monitoring and analyzing electronic media, with the goal of understanding and addressing the impact of disinformation<\/strong> in today\u2019s digital society. The team develops strategies to strengthen critical thinking skills among people living in an environment saturated with information and multimedia content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Media Observatory<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project revolves around a digital platform<\/a> that tracks and identifies dominant narratives across social media, blogs, and news sites in Mexico. An interdisciplinary team\u2014made up of researchers, journalists, lawyers, engineers, and educators\u2014is working to fight disinformation and promote media literacy through specific actions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n