10.26180/5c0df62e0c9d9
Ben Lyall
Ben
Lyall
Brady Robards
Brady
Robards
Tool, toy and tutor: Subjective experiences of digital Self-tracking
Monash University
2018
communications technology
wearables
self-tracking
Quantified Self
consumption
visualisations
Qualitative Investigation
digital technology
Sociology
2018-12-10 05:27:31
Journal contribution
https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Tool_toy_and_tutor_Subjective_experiences_of_digital_Self-tracking/7441973
(2018)<i> Journal of Sociology </i>54(1)<br><br>Since the advent of the smartphone, users have become accustomed to
alerts, notifications and reminders to interact with their
internet-connected devices. But how do people make sense of prompts to
exercise, eat or sleep? Digital self-tracking is a phenomenon that has
grown substantially in recent years. However, despite some notable
exceptions, there is still little sociological research into how users
of wearable devices and apps subjectively experience self-tracking. This
article draws on findings from a small qualitative study with 11
participants to reveal eminent themes in how users make sense of their
self-tracking. Utilising and extending Lupton’s theorising of
self-tracking, we argue for triple roles of self-tracking devices;
‘tool’, ‘toy’ and ‘tutor’. This trichotomy helps to characterise the use
of self-tracking devices and apps, allowing us to reflect on the wider,
ongoing implications of self-tracking.