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Gendered Quantified Self
Rayna Stamboliyska
Paris Descartes University RS Strategy
+What is ‘quantified self’ (QS)?
The continuous tracking of various aspects of our
physical bodies
n how many calories we burn;
n our body fat percentage;
n how many steps we take in a day;
n how long we sleep;
n how many hours a week we spend commuting or sitting at a desk;
n … http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+Measure and score
We have the ability to measure and score our lives
It is thus a matter of time to start scoring our:
n social reach and influence;
n tastes and preferences;
n achievements;
n credibility and reputation;
n habits;
n expertise;
n …
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+ Interconnected & shared self All that information is at your fingertips at all times…
chart a path for improvement—and share your winning strategy and stats with others … an interconnected world of healthier, happier people making much more informed decisions. http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+Science and QS
n REM-sleep gender differences;
n diseases, e.g. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 1: lithium carbonate drug 0 (PatientsLikeMe, CureTogether);
n …
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+Science and QS
n REM-sleep gender differences;
n diseases (PatientsLikeMe, CureTogether);
n …
BUT
n Does wearing orange-tinted glasses or performing regular hopping exercises can improve sleep quality?
n Does eating butter improve arithmetic ability?
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+Science and QS
n Does wearing orange-tinted glasses or performing regular hopping exercises can improve sleep quality?
n Does eating butter improves arithmetic ability?
n No rigorous controls;
n No double-blinding;
n Sample size of one;
n Possible placebo effects
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+ The future is now
● Potential to encourage self-tracking through gamification
● QS is no miracle recipe but may be an efficient method
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+We are all Sheldon
SHELDON: When do you evacuate your bowels?
LEONARD: Er, when I need to?
SHELDON: I'm sorry, but I can't rent to hippies.
LEONARD: OK, 8:00?
SHELDON: I can't give you 8. I can give you 7:30.
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+We are all Sheldon… O rly?
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
‘Manly dieting’
“Nothing manly about watching your weight”, The Chicago Tribune, 9 Dec 2002
+What’s wrong with girls’ bodies?
Women do not really quantify themselves sensu QS
1) anything framed around dieting and calories;
2) anything described as being about fertility
are practices associated with 'feminine stuff’ and make many of us keen to avoid being “that girl”
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+The hungry games
n “Monitor 'calories out' but not 'calories in’…“
n “The proliferation of apps that obsessively quantify eating and fitness—Tap&Track, My Diet Diary, Fitbit Activity, and hundreds of others—have radically transformed the way anorexia afflicts patients.”
n “QS is helping Flore in fighting back anorexia.”
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
+‘Are you tracking anything?’
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Bentham & the Panopticon
+‘Visibility is a trap’
n “For me, launching into a discussion of my existing self-tracking projects would basically be like coming to a conference in my underwear.” (W.E. Boesel)
n for many marginalized groups: “visibility is a trap” (Foucault, ‘panopticism’)
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue
