Tuesday, March 12, 2013

"Self tracking" or self absorbed?

Sometimes I hear stories on NPR that leave me frozen in place with my jaw dropped in amazement.  This is one of them:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/03/12/174058272/self-tracking-apps-to-help-you-quantify-yourself

The "Self Tracking" movement allows you to quantify and chart everything about yourself and what you do.  How many steps do you take daily, how much REM sleep, how many calories burned, when are your most productive hours, how many phone calls do you make each day, how does your mood fluctuate, what is your heart rate - you name it, you can track it.  It gets even more invasive with companies which are handily providing blood tests on self-supplied samples.  Doctor, schmoctor, who needs him?

It's beyond creepy.  "Know thyself", indeed.

This is what happens when narcisicism and obsessive-compulsive disorder mix

3 comments:

Nancy said...

What these "self trackers" fail to realize is that while they are tracking themselves someone else is tracking them through the same apps and devices. Now, that is creepy.

As a society we are willingly giving up our privacy for "convenience" and "entertainment."

momtofatdogs said...

Who has time for that cr@p? I don't have time to do silly stuff like that. People that want to do self tracking need a hobby. Like QUILTING. I'm under the gun at work all week for performance, I shutter to think how much pressure I'd put on myself if I DID track everything. I just don't need that self induced stress. I'm happy NOT knowing how much time I waste (or don't)

Sam

SandraB said...

I am with hubby. Love the diamonds.