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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
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how many calories we burn;
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our body fat percentage;
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how many steps we take in a day;
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how long we sleep;
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how many hours a week we spend commuting or sitting at a
desk;
…
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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Measure and score
We have the ability to measure and score our lives
It is thus a matter of time to start scoring our:
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social reach and influence;
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tastes and preferences;
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achievements;
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credibility and reputation;
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habits;
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expertise;
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…
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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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

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Science and QS
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REM-sleep gender differences;
diseases, e.g. amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis 1: lithium carbonate drug 0
(PatientsLikeMe, CureTogether);
…
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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Science and QS
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REM-sleep gender differences;
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diseases (PatientsLikeMe, CureTogether);
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…
BUT
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Does wearing orange-tinted glasses or
performing regular hopping exercises can
improve sleep quality?
Does eating butter improve arithmetic
ability?
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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Science and QS
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Does wearing orange-tinted glasses or performing regular
hopping exercises can improve sleep quality?
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Does eating butter improves arithmetic ability?
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No rigorous controls;
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No double-blinding;
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Sample size of one;
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Possible placebo effects
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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The future is now
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Potential to encourage self-tracking through gamification
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QS is no miracle recipe but may be an efficient method
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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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

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We are all Sheldon… O rly?
‘Manly dieting’
“Nothing manly about watching your weight”, The Chicago Tribune, 9 Dec 2002
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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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

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The hungry games
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“Monitor 'calories out' but not
'calories in’…“
“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.”
“QS is helping Flore in fighting back
anorexia.”
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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‘Are you tracking anything?’
Bentham & the Panopticon
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

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‘Visibility is a trap’
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“For me, launching into a discussion of my existing selftracking projects would basically be like coming to a
conference in my underwear.” (W.E. Boesel)
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for many marginalized groups: “visibility is a
trap” (Foucault, ‘panopticism’)
http://me.hatewasabi.info .../... @MaliciaRogue

+
Thank you!
rayna@hatewasabi.info
@MaliciaRogue