University of Helsinki
CEACG Researcher of the Month -series introduces CEACG researchers and their research. We interviewed project planner Mikaela Lindeman about her research regarding gambling marketing on social media.
Who are you?
I am a project planner at CEACG, and I’ve been a part of the group since 2017. That marks a five-year anniversary! However, I’ve had one foot in the group and one foot in other jobs the whole time as I’m only employed here half time, so technically the jubilee might just be 2,5 years.
How did you end up at CEACG?
Matilda Hellman, CEACG research director at the time rung med up in late 2016 and suggested I joined a group of researchers that were about to start digging into alcohol marketing on social media, and I happily joined that Finland- Sweden collaborative project consortium. Nordic topics have always been close to my heart and sphere of interest.
What is your current research about?
After that first project was finished, we’ve since moved on from alcohol marketing on social media to gambling marketing on social media, which is my main 50 % focus at the moment.
Why do you think it is important to examine this topic?
Because it’s a topic that never rests. Social media is evolving, developing, and posing new challenges for policy makers quicker than anyone can grasp. But as it is such a dominant factor in especially young people’s lives, we need to stay on par, and understand how the systems work.
If you could switch places with your CEACG colleague for one day, who would you choose and why?
That would be Janne Nikkinen, because it seems there is nothing about gambling policies he doesn’t know. He is focused, with a good sense of humour. Not a bad combo!