Beyond a Utility View of Personal Informatics : A Postphenomenological Framework

Quantified self apps and other personal informatics designs have rapidly grown in popularity through the advent of convenient Internet of Things related wearables and improved sensor technology. The rapid growth has, however, left its mark on how we study this area as the utility that could be provided has become the centerpiece of attention. This appears somewhat contradictory, as personal informatics technology becomes integrated in life in nuanced ways, contributing value beyond the instrumental data analysis role. In this paper, we propose relying on postphenomenology as a useful foundation for extending the study of personal informatics, and provide three concluding implications intended to guide the discussion of such an extension