The Gamification of Self-Quantification

A transformation is currently taking place in the way we interpret our health. Yesterday, we asked our doctors, but today we ask our data. Advancements in technology make it easy to collect data from our bodies, through which we are able to interpret the state of our health. Our personal tech can track every step we take, every beat our heart makes.  The quantified self refers to the cultural phenomenon of self-tracking with technology and to a community of users and makers of self-tracking apps and software which merges technology and data acquisition into daily life. The term embodies self-knowledge through tracking. Once the data is collected, it is analyzed for meaning in order to gain insight into the user’s health. The user then draws conclusions and makes efforts to optimize their health, and continue to monitor the data to see it reflect optimal situations, which creates a “feedback loop”. Getting feedback on physical behaviour helps to become conscious of behaviours .In this way, the self is quantified, and this data that is collected influences our daily decisions. 

A benefit of adopting the technology is the gamification aspect of it all. Fitness apps help stimulate healthier life choices which prevent chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It makes making health positive decisions more fun and enjoyable, and when progress occurs, the app stimulates dopamine in the same way social media apps are designed to. Gamifying exercise can improve motivation and make fitness more effective at all levels. The achievement system that many fitness quantifying apps include makes exercise easier to engage in and stay loyal to. The gamification aspect of health and fitness apps represent a very promising, burgeoning market and landscape in which to disseminate health behavior change interventions.

The gamification of health and fitness can lead to a new type of active entertainment, similar to virtual reality, but in which the user is actively influencing the narrative. In apps, there are certain goals set out for the user, and it is up to the user’s initiative and determination to achieve the goals set out by the app. However, it is different than regular games due to the reason that it influences our daily lives, and contributes to a user’s overall health.