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Who are you, and what drew you into this world of social data and digital insight?
Hi! I'm David! I´m a 25 years old political scientist from Barranquilla, a city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. I define myself through my interests, passions, and even ideological perspectives. Like any other Gen-Z, I'm a deep consumer of information or a doomscroller to be honest. I enjoy learning songs through social media, dancing to them, singing with friends, but also equally drawn to understanding emerging trends, their meanings, and the ways in which they shape how we think in a world saturated with narratives and the post-truth phenomena.
I'm constantly exploring the cultural foundations of our societies, which are often the result of the hybridization of diverse human experiences, something that I'm often fascinated when I realize.
My path in social data began during an internship at Universidad del Norte. There, alongside Professor and researcher Luis Fernando Trejos, worked on the gathering and analysis of information from legacy media, organizations, and social media related to violent expressions of the Colombian armed conflict in the Caribbean region. We categorized and systematized press coverage and official statements that later informed academic articles and research reports.
After Uni, I joined Rebold by ISPD Andina as an Consumer Intelligence Analyst. For almost two years, with the guidance of Natalia Patiño and Alejandro Sierra, we monitored digital reputation for public institutions in Colombia and developed market research projects for brands across multiple industries in Colombia and Latin America.
Now I'm at Contáctica as a Community Manager, where I not only handle customer service cases but also help connect brands with their audiences.
Do you think social intelligence is a research discipline, a strategy practice, or something else entirely?
Social Intelligence redefines the social sciences in the digital age. It involves the ongoing application of qualitative and quantitative research frameworks within social media environments.
At the same time, this practice introduces new challenges inherent to digital ecosystems. The ability of researchers and analysts to navigate and respond to these complexities is precisely what makes Social Intelligence a distinctive approach to understanding human interactions in information-saturated contexts.
What I find especially compelling is that this process of professionalization emerges largely from practice, from sustained, participatory observation of social media trends, interactions within digital communities and making insights.
I'm convinced that Social Intelligence is evolving from a methodological instrument into a discipline in its own right, at a pace both rapid and unprecedented within the social sciences, where the consolidation of a theoretical corpus, as well as its application beyond the digital realm, will be key.
What’s something you’re currently figuring out in your work or trying to get better at?
Find categorical correlations. Beyond the size of the dataset, we are increasingly immersed in a constant search for meaning. I have quickly shifted, from treating data points as the central story to focusing more on the story behind the data.
Numbers provide support, but they do not capture the full picture. Qualitative correlations reveal cognitive dissonance, cultural hybridization, consumer contradictions and the expression of diverse emotions.
These are the places where I find my most valuable insights, those that connect with cultural foundations as expressed through consumption practices, emerging trends or social media narratives.
As a result, communicating findings has become increasingly challenging. Our online conversations become more complex each day, engaging with a greater number of intersectionalities and addressing more segmented markets.
Identifying signs, symbols, and meaning within the noise is what I'm trying to get better at.
When do you feel like you’re doing your best work?
I love yapping, I love discussing insights. Fortunately, I’ve had the space not only to present them, but also to receive feedback and perspectives that go beyond my own biases as an analyst.
For me, dialogue and debate are essential to guiding audience-centered communication strategies.
In this way, once findings have been discussed, translating those insights into clear digital marketing strategies or creative campaigns enhances the value of my work and reinforces the role of Social Intelligence as a tool for better understanding digital ecosystems.
What’s the last trend, post, or rabbit hole that got you unexpectedly obsessed? And what did it teach you?
I was deeply engaged in a debate on social media—especially on TikTok and Instagram—around what became known as “Costeñita Core” (Coast-lifestyle aesthetic core).
The conversation emerged when people associated with Barranquilla’s economic elite openly adopted elements of popular culture that had been historically stigmatized, only to later reframe them as an aspirational lifestyle. To me, this and intend to codify aesthetics rooted in precarious contexts into artistic products
I was particularly fascinated by the intensity of the debate surrounding the role artists should play when honoring the cultural heritage of their territories; how to do it, when to do it, and whether it should be done at all.
Although my For You Page became saturated with highly emotional content, it was a necessary conversation for a city that's trying to build a local music industry. I learned that drawing inspiration from the cultural elements of our territories requires demonstrating genuine rootedness and belonging.
This debate once again highlighted a growing trend for social media in 2026: the constant chasing of authenticity by both audiences and creators.
What’s your go-to reset when you feel stuck? A place, a person, or piece of culture?
Anything that helps me disconnect from my phone and from the constant pressure to stay connected is more than welcome. Whether it’s reading a book, spending time with friends or doing sports. It can be touching grass, literally.
Social media is overstimulating and I need to channel that energy in a healthy way, physically, through my body, in the real world, by connecting with family and friends.
Who in the industry do you look to right now? And what are they doing that most people should pay attention to?
I listen to every new episode of Power User, a podcast of technology and culture by the journalist Taylor Lorenz.
Lorenz helps to understand niches that, due to algorithmic filtering, I would likely never encounter otherwise for me. On her podcast, she speaks directly with the voices driving trends on social media and even within specific subreddits.
The format is fresh, dynamic, and well suited to today’s shortened attention spans. It’s something we should pay closer attention to: connecting directly with the agents shaping the conversations we observe, and exploring new ways to communicate our insights.
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