Outlines

In this part of the study guide we will provide you with outlines for the two texts to help you gain an overview of the way the topic of the quantified self is explored. The outline of Text I will also help you answer task A in your assignment.

I: “The Quantified Self: Data Gone Wild?”

Author: PBS NewsHour
Genre: Video report
Year of Publication: 2013

Text I is a video report broadcast by PBS NewsHour in 2013.

The video presents Bob Troia sleeping. The man has a gadget on his head which provides him with details about the quality of his sleep. After he wakes up, Troia also measures his pulse, his weight, and his blood sugar level because he has an elevated risk for type II diabetes.

Throughout the day, Troia wears a monitor on his chest and a wristband that monitor his heart rate, sweat levels, and skin temperature. The data he collects is stored in a computer programme, a smartphone app, or in spreadsheets. Troia’s purpose is to stay healthy and keep his risk of diabetes at bay.

Troia is representative of the growing movement called the quantified self, where people monitor and quantify various types of personal data. About 60% of American adults track their weight, diet, or exercise routine, and millions of people turn to technology to do this.

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II: “Wearable devices: tracking your every step may not make you happier”

Author: Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
Genre: Article
Year of Publication: 2016

Text II is an article published in the British newspaper The Guardian in 2016.

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic argues that while self-tracking apps and devices are useful tools, they are not going to automatically improve people’s lives. The article opens with a line from a Radiohead song which, in 1997, predicted that we would come to live in an age of apps and wearable devices designed to track and improve people’s health.

This trend is known as the quantified self because these digital tools help people gather and manage data about their own bodies and performances. They appeal to various categories of people such as those already interested in fitness or those who develop health conditions. Their final purpose is to help users improve their lives and their health.

The writer gives three reasons why people should not overestimate the power and usefulness of these tools. Firstly, these apps and devices mainly appeal to those who are already concerned with staying fit, and who are therefore generally already healthy.

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