PROJECT TITLE :

Creating Meaning in a World of Quantified Selves

ABSTRACT:

The urge to document our lives isn't new, and as readers of this column, you're no doubt well aware of the various new self-tracking technologies-notably those related to health. A massive part of the attractiveness of health tracking devices stems from their seeming objectivity. Built on sensors and algorithms, these systems appear neutral and consistent, impervious to human frailties and whims. Yet for many, use of those self-tracking techniques and technologies is not easy. Here, we tend to unpack four tensions surrounding self-tracking and discuss the role of quantification in understanding ourselves.