La teoría mimética aplicada a las relaciones interpersonales a través de redes sociales: el caso de piñagate en Mercadona

• María del Carmen Paradinas Márquez ^[1] ; Cristina Marín-Palacios ^[1]
  1. [1] ESIC University. España
• Localización: Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, ISSN-e 1138-5820, Nº. 84, 2026
• Idioma: español
• DOI: 10.4185/rlcs-2026-2469
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Mimetic theory applied to interpersonal relationships through social networks: the case of piñagate in Mercadona
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen
  • español

    Introducción: El piñagate ilustra cómo las redes sociales amplifican comportamientos miméticos. Se analiza cómo deseos y comportamientos se replican digitalmente, destacando el papel de tuits y contenidos virales en su expansión. Este caso aporta nuevas perspectivas sobre la teoría mimética aplicada a fenómenos digitales y su impacto en la comunicación contemporánea. Metodología :El análisis se llevó a cabo mediante la recolección de tuits con “piña” AND “Mercadona” AND “ligar”. Tras la limpieza de datos en Excel y Google Colab se hizo un análisis de sentimiento con Pipeline (Transformers) para, posteriormente extraer las palabras clave con NLTK y elaborar los mapas temáticos con VOSviewer. Resultados: Los resultados indican que el contenido de los tuits analizados tiene un tono positivo o una respuesta favorable de la comunidad analizada. Se identifican cuatro grupos: Contexto General de Mercadona, Estrategias para Ligar, Ambientes y Productos, y Momentos y Ocasiones. Discusión: La aplicación de la teoría mimética a las redes sociales ha generado tanto interés como críticas. Algunos argumentan que proporciona una explicación valiosa para entender el comportamiento en línea y las dinámicas de grupo. Sin embargo, otros critican que puede simplificar excesivamente la complejidad de las interacciones humanas y las motivaciones individuales.

    Conclusiones: El piñagate en Mercadona ilustra cómo la teoría mimética explica fenómenos virales en redes sociales, destacando cómo símbolos triviales, como una piña, se transforman en actos de comunicación interpersonal. Este estudio combina análisis de datos y lenguaje natural, mostrando cómo la cultura digital redefine normas sociales y percepciones comerciales.

  • English

    Introduction:Piñagateillustrates how social networks amplify mimetic behaviours. It analyses how desires and behaviours are digitally replicated, highlighting the role of tweets and viral content in their expansion. This case provides new perspectives on mimetic theory applied to digital phenomena and its impact on contemporary communication. Methodology:The analysis was carried out by collecting tweets with ‘pineapple’ AND ‘Mercadona’ AND ‘flirt’. After data cleaning in Excel and Google Colab, a sentiment analysis was carried out with Pipeline (Transformers) to subsequently extract keywords with NLTK and elaborate thematic maps with VOSviewer. Results:The results indicate that the content of the tweets analysed has a positive tone or a favourable response from the community analysed. Four groups are identified: General Context of Mercadona, Strategies for Flirting, Environments and Products, and Moments and Occasions. Discussion:The application of mimetic theory to social networks has generated both interest and criticism. Some argue that it provides a valuable explanation for understanding online behaviour and group dynamics. However, others criticise that it may oversimplify the complexity of human interactions and individual motivations. Conclusions:The piñagate at Mercadona illustrates how mimetic theory explains viral phenomena in social networks, highlighting how trivial symbols, such as a pineapple, are transformed into acts of interpersonal communication. This study combines data analysis and natural language, showinghow digital culture redefines social norms and commercial perceptions.

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