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Exercise as Labour: Quantified Self and the Transformation of Exercise into Labour

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  • Chris Till

    (School of Social, Psychological and Communication Sciences, Leeds Metropolitan University, Room 914, Calverley Building, Portland Way, Leeds, LS1 3HE, UK)

Abstract

The recent increase in the use of digital self-tracking devices has given rise to a range of relations to the self often discussed as quantified self (QS). In popular and academic discourse, this development has been discussed variously as a form of narcissistic self-involvement, an advanced expression of panoptical self-surveillance and a potential new dawn for e-health. This article proposes a previously un-theorised consequence of this large-scale observation and analysis of human behaviour; that exercise activity is in the process of being reconfigured as labour. QS will be briefly introduced, and reflected on, subsequently considering some of its key aspects in relation to how these have so far been interpreted and analysed in academic literature. Secondly, the analysis of scholars of “digital labour” and “immaterial labour” will be considered, which will be discussed in relation to what its analysis of the transformations of work in contemporary advanced capitalism can offer to an interpretation of the promotion and management of the self-tracking of exercise activities. Building on this analysis, it will be proposed that a thermodynamic model of the exploitation of potential energy underlies the interest that corporations have shown in self-tracking and that “gamification” and the promotion of an entrepreneurial selfhood is the ideological frame that informs the strategy through which labour value is extracted without payment. Finally, the potential theoretical and political consequences of these insights will be considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris Till, 2014. "Exercise as Labour: Quantified Self and the Transformation of Exercise into Labour," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-17, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:4:y:2014:i:3:p:446-462:d:39729
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Minna Ruckenstein, 2014. "Visualized and Interacted Life: Personal Analytics and Engagements with Data Doubles," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fiske, Amelia & Buyx, Alena & Prainsack, Barbara, 2020. "The double-edged sword of digital self-care: Physician perspectives from Northern Germany," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    2. Alessia Bertolazzi & Katarzyna Marzęda-Młynarska & Justyna Kięczkowska & Maria Letizia Zanier, 2024. "Datafication of Care: Security and Privacy Issues with Health Technology for People with Diabetes," Societies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-25, August.
    3. Deborah Lupton, 2014. "Apps as Artefacts: Towards a Critical Perspective on Mobile Health and Medical Apps," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Petrakaki, Dimitra & Hilberg, Eva & Waring, Justin, 2018. "Between empowerment and self-discipline: Governing patients' conduct through technological self-care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 146-153.
    5. Thomas Calvard, 2019. "Integrating Social Scientific Perspectives on the Quantified Employee Self," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Marent, Benjamin & Henwood, Flis & Darking, Mary, 2018. "Ambivalence in digital health: Co-designing an mHealth platform for HIV care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 215(C), pages 133-141.
    7. Evgeniya G. Nim, 2019. "Digital Self-Tracking Among Russian Students: Practices And Discourses," HSE Working papers WP BRP 91/SOC/2019, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

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