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Promising future health through dietary tracking apps: An ethnography of digital data-human assemblages
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2021-02-15
Author(s)
Danesi, Giada
Abstract
In the face of growing numbers of people living with chronic diseases, many public efforts are being undertaken to inform and educate ciFzens to take care of their health. Frequently,
technological soluFons such as self-tracking apps play a crucial role in supporFng these efforts and raise hopes and promises. Both diet and physical acFvity are at the heart of iniFaFves and projects, both public and private, aiming at reducing the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes etc. The self-monitoring of dietary intakes, food consumpFons and steps are at first sight among the simplest acFons to be carried out by ciFzens themselves. Geared towards facilitaFng individual self-regulaFon, dietary tracking offers many promises and many hopes are therefore pinned on them. Drawing from the observaFon and implementaFon of a project that aims at developing a socially acceptable digital receipt-based diet monitoring mobile health applicaFon, we present the ways in which promises of a beLer self are elaborated, performed and embedded in the collaboraFon between several actors. More specifically, we discuss how these collaboraFons contribute in legiFmising these promises and explore potenFal for intervenFon from an STS perspecFve. We wish to do this with the aim of shedding light on the role of science and, more recently, of the involvement of the social and human dimension of technology through the collaboraFons between both the designers and the users, and engineer sciences and social sciences in dealing with the uncertainty and fragility of the outcomes in relaFon to the use itself and the enhancement of health. Beyond human assemblages we also aLend to the digital data- human assemblages (Lupton, 2016) in the project we study.
technological soluFons such as self-tracking apps play a crucial role in supporFng these efforts and raise hopes and promises. Both diet and physical acFvity are at the heart of iniFaFves and projects, both public and private, aiming at reducing the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes etc. The self-monitoring of dietary intakes, food consumpFons and steps are at first sight among the simplest acFons to be carried out by ciFzens themselves. Geared towards facilitaFng individual self-regulaFon, dietary tracking offers many promises and many hopes are therefore pinned on them. Drawing from the observaFon and implementaFon of a project that aims at developing a socially acceptable digital receipt-based diet monitoring mobile health applicaFon, we present the ways in which promises of a beLer self are elaborated, performed and embedded in the collaboraFon between several actors. More specifically, we discuss how these collaboraFons contribute in legiFmising these promises and explore potenFal for intervenFon from an STS perspecFve. We wish to do this with the aim of shedding light on the role of science and, more recently, of the involvement of the social and human dimension of technology through the collaboraFons between both the designers and the users, and engineer sciences and social sciences in dealing with the uncertainty and fragility of the outcomes in relaFon to the use itself and the enhancement of health. Beyond human assemblages we also aLend to the digital data- human assemblages (Lupton, 2016) in the project we study.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Event Title
MULTIPLE MATTERS: FROM NEGLECTED THINGS TO ARTS OF NOTICING FRAGILITY, 5th STS-CH conference
Event Location
University of Lausanne (online conference)
Event Date
15.-17.2.2021
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
262902