Yein, Kyla

English

Loyola Marymount University

Title:Self-Improvement Through Self-Tracking: An Analysis of the Quantified Self in MediaIntroduction:With the advancement of technology, specifically those relating to quantifying numerousfacets of our lives, we often find ourselves pushed to constantly achieve the “highest score,”dictating our perception of what it means to improve ourselves. This perception can be attributedto the Quantified Self and its emphasis on quantifying. The Quantified Self is a culturalphenomenon where individuals turn to self-tracking tools to “answer a health question, achieve agoal, [or] explore an idea,” according to the movement’s website, QuantifiedSelf.com.It encourages self-tracking in hopes of improvement, a concept that is increasingly becomingmore popular, as it is “starting to be a mainstream phenomenon as 60% of U.S. adults arecurrently tracking their weight, diet, or exercise routine … [and] there are 40,000 smartphonehealth applications available” (Swan 2013). As a result, visual media have been highlighting theeffects of quantification through cinematic and serial/episodic formats, interpreting thephenomenon in numerous ways. Analyzing a wide range of narratives surrounding quantificationand self-tracking provides an insight into the messages about the Quantified Self that mediaportrays. This can shape our own knowledge about the movement, thereby affecting how weinteract with self-tracking technology.Background:The social pressure to become better combined with technology that can quantify ourdaily lives can lead to the Quantified Self. Introduced in 2009 by former editors of WiredMagazine, Gary Wolf and Kevin Kelly, the Quantified Self emphasizes self-tracking usingtechnology to improve self-knowledge through numbers, such as the number of steps they havetaken or the number of calories burned. The aforementioned Wired article titled “Know Thyself:Tracking Every Facet of Life, from Sleep to Mood to Pain, 24/7/365,” states that self-quantifyingwill not only allow users to track their health status and habits, also sharing this data provides an“insight [that] will come not just from our own numbers but from combining them with thefindings of others” (Wolf 2009). Users, specifically “self-quanters” are given the option to sharetheir data, with other users, creating a sense of competition and encouraging “high scores.”“Self-quanters” believe in the “general progression in human history of using measurement,science, and technology to bring order, understanding, manipulation, and control to the naturalworld, including the human body” (Swan 2013). Utilizing the pressure to improve, trackingtechnologies encourage “self-quanters” to constantly seek to raise the numbers from their data, inorder to be - what they believe - healthy.My research goal is to understand the proliferation of the Quantified Self by analyzingmedia that feature self-quantification. With Honors research funding, I will be able to researchhow the Quantified Self is represented in media, and what message this media is sending aboutself-quantification. As the Quantified Self phenomenon becomes more widespread, there havebeen more media that spotlight the effects of quantification on its characters, oftentimes to theirdetriment. For example, in the HBO show Made for Love, the main character Hazel finds herselftrapped in a marriage with tech billionaire Bryan Gogol, surrounded by tracking technology thatforces her to quantify her sex life, happiness, etc. on a daily basis. Gogol is always seeking toimprove his life by meticulously monitoring quantitative data collected from all aspects of Hazeland his life. She realizes how harrowing this constant tracking and surveillance are and attemptsto escape her relationship and the presence of her husband’s technology. Films, shows, and othermedia that focus on quantification should be explored because their narratives can reflect theeffects of the Quantified Self through cinematic and serial/episodic formats.Methods:To achieve my research goal, I will research the history of using technology to trackhealth, the Quantified Self movement, and media studies accounts of technologies of the self. Iwill then expand my research by examining histories of self-tracking, theories of technology andthe self, and sociological studies of quantified health and digital health technologies. Anyobservations and notes will be recorded to shape my analyses. Not only is textual researchimportant for this project, but also being able to access films, television shows, and other mediais key for being able to get an insight into the messages being made in media aboutquantification. Close analysis of media allows me to recognize patterns in media representing theQuantified Self phenomenon and examine how media support or critique self-quantificationtechnologies and practices. This is why funding for books, media, and streaming services isneeded to conduct research. Throughout this process, guidance and resources can be provided bymy research advisor, Dr. Kressbach. Furthermore, using self-tracking technology, such as Fitbit,will be crucial as experiencing first-hand self-tracking shapes my understanding of my topic.This allows me to be able to have a unique insight into the practical nature of self-quantificationwhile being able to immerse myself in the practices of “quant-selfers”. Research on self-trackinghas historically avoided subjective accounts, and hands-on work will allow me critical data onthe experiential effects of self-quantification. At the end of my research this summer, I will beable to write an abstract for a paper on the Quantified Self in media and be able to present at thefollowing LMU Undergraduate Research Symposium.Expected Results:There is currently a lack of scholarship on quantification in media, despite its significancereflected in our culture and habits. Studies have shown that the effects of the use of self-trackingtechnology are unclear, as “studies have found that there may be detrimental effects, while othershave documented the overall benefits of self-tracking to health and wellness outcomes as well asthe psychology of empowerment and responsibility taking” (Swan 2013), showing a need formore research on this topic. However, trends relating to the Quantified Self indicate thatalthough some may use self-tracking technology to improve their health and other states, thequantification of aspects of their lives can result in harmful perceptions. When analyzing mediathat focuses on quantification, the character that is affected by quantifying themself oftentimesfinds that the constant tracking and surveillance creates an obsessive and detrimentalenvironment. More visual media must be taken into account before drawing a conclusion aboutthe Quantified Self and quantification in media, despite this.Conclusion:Ultimately, understanding how media portrays self-quantification shapes our knowledgeof the effects of quantification, as the films and shows investigated reflect the nature of theQuantified Self phenomenon. Moreover, analyzing portrayals of quantification and its effectsallows for an interpretation based on a multisensory experience (sight and auditory) that visualmedia provides. Not only is analyzing visual media crucial to my research but also usingself-trackers provides a first-hand perspective of “self-quanters,” adding subjective descriptionsof the effects of quantification. Understanding quantification and how phenomena like theQuantified Self can signal how to approach using self-tracking technology.Work cited:Beyond the Quantified Self: Thematic Exploration of a ...https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1461444815609081.Lupton, Deborah. The Quantified Self: A Sociology of Self-Tracking. Polity Press, 2016.Swan, Melanie. “Sensor Mania! the Internet of Things, Wearable Computing, Objective Metrics,and the Quantified Self 2.0.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 8 Nov.2012, https://www.mdpi.com/2224-2708/1/3/217.The Quantified Self: Fundamental Disruption in Big Data ...https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/big.2012.0002.Wolf, Gary. “Know Thyself: Tracking Every Facet of Life, from Sleep to Mood to Pain,24/7/365.” Wired, Conde Nast, 22 June 2009,https://www.wired.com/2009/06/lbnp-knowthyself/.

Self-Improvement Through Self-Tracking: An Analysis of the Quantified Self in Media

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Self-Improvement Through Self-Tracking: An Analysis of the Quantified Self in Media

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