Quantifying the Self

“Self knowledge through numbers.” This is the driving philosophy behind the Quantified Self (QS) community, a group of people who collect and reflect on their personal information. This practice is called self-tracking and is increasingly facilitated by digital tools like pedometers, mobile applications, and websites. My research explores the question: What leads to the widespread acceptance of digital self-tracking tools? I approach this question by measuring people’s awareness and perceptions of the technology as well as by deconstructing the success of popular tracking tools. I focus on tools that track fitness data because they are the most widely accepted. My investigations are supported by a thorough review of literature about technology acceptance, personal informatics systems, and behavior change. There is often a disassociation between popular tracking tools and the concept of self-tracking. Whether it is referred to as self-tracking or not, the practice is growing steadily. This is due to the ubiquity of personal data collection in our current digital environment. It is integrated into so many digital services and devices; it is more or less unavoidable. Leaders of the QS movement frame what they do as a new context for knowledge-making. It is more than just a few people’s hobby, it is a lens through which we see and create the world around us. An understanding of self-tracking is vital to our assessment of society’s digital evolution, especially as the practice continues to grow in popularity and influence.