Öz Takip Pratikleri ve Tüketim Deneyimlerinde Akıllı Teknolojilerin Rolü/ Self-Tracking Practices and Consumption Experiences: The Role of Smart Technologies
Abstract
The study further examines how self-tracking blurs the traditional boundaries between production and consumption. Users simultaneously generate valuable biometric data for technology companies while consuming this data to construct, evaluate, and reshape their identities and bodily experiences. Building upon Belk's concept of the Extended Self, the study argues that self-tracking represents an ongoing identity project. Wearable devices and the data they generate become symbolic possessions through which individuals express, negotiate, and communicate their identities. Consequently, the digital profile created through continuous data collection functions as a digital representation of the user's ideal self.
An exploratory qualitative research design was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 participants aged between 27 and 54 years. The sample consisted of eight active users of self-tracking technologies and six former users who had discontinued their use, thereby providing a comprehensive understanding of the consumer journey. The interview data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase thematic analysis approach, which enabled the identification of recurring patterns and shared meanings across participants' experiences. The analysis generated five overarching themes: purchase intention, interpreting data, social environment, motivation, and abandonment and re-purchase.
Purchase Intention. Participants' decisions to purchase wearable devices were influenced by a combination of utilitarian and hedonic motivations. Personality traits, interest in technology, lifestyle, and identity signaling also played significant roles in shaping purchase intentions. For example, one participant perceived the Apple Watch Ultra as a symbolic representation of an "enhanced" or "ideal" version of the self.
Interpreting Data. Participants transformed numerical indicators, such as step counts, heart rate, and sleep quality, into meaningful personal narratives. These data informed judgments about their health, productivity, and emotional well-being, often prompting behavioral changes such as seeking medical consultation or initiating lifestyle modifications. At the same time, participants frequently described the device as an authoritative figure—a "boss" or even a "shackle"—that imposed expectations and generated feelings of guilt when personal goals were not achieved.
Social Environment. Self-tracking technologies facilitated interactions not only between individuals but also between users and their devices. Wearable technologies also functioned as symbols of membership within particular social and cultural groups, such as health-conscious individuals or technology enthusiasts. Furthermore, participants regularly compared their performance data with those of others, resulting in either increased self-confidence or feelings of anxiety, inadequacy, and social pressure.
Motivation. Participants' motivation was driven by both utilitarian objectives, such as weight management and calorie monitoring, and hedonic rewards, including earning badges and completing activity rings. The highly gamified nature of self-tracking transformed health management into an engaging experience, where achieving goals generated feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction, whereas failing to meet targets often resulted in frustration, disappointment, or even depressive emotions.
Abandonment and Re-purchase. Six participants discontinued using self-tracking technologies because of technical limitations, such as short battery life and discomfort, as well as the psychological burden associated with continuous monitoring. Interestingly, several participants later resumed using these devices, suggesting that self-tracking represents a cyclical rather than a linear consumption experience.
The findings demonstrate that self-tracking technologies simultaneously position individuals as producers and consumers of digital data, transforming the body, health, and everyday life into consumable and measurable entities. The study further illustrates how identities are continuously negotiated through interactions with wearable technologies. While previous research has primarily emphasized the disciplinary and surveillance-oriented aspects of self-tracking, the present study reveals that possessing, interpreting, and sharing personal data may also provide individuals with social status, symbolic capital, and a sense of empowerment. Moreover, the findings suggest that self-tracking extends beyond the construction of a stable identity, instead involving continuous transformations in emotions, behaviors, and self-perceptions.
Overall, this study demonstrates that self-tracking constitutes a complex and multifaceted consumption experience that fundamentally reshapes individuals' relationships with their bodies, identities, and social environments.
Keywords
Ethical Statement
In this study, research and publication ethics were observed. All data used in the research process were obtained with the voluntary consent of the participants, personal information was kept confidential, and the data were evaluated solely for scientific purposes.
This study is derived from the author’s Master’s thesis in Business Administration at TOBB ETU. .
Öz Takip Pratikleri ve Tüketim Deneyimlerinde Akıllı Teknolojilerin Rolü/ Self-Tracking Practices and Consumption Experiences: The Role of Smart Technologies
Abstract
Teknolojinin ilerlemesi ve giyilebilir/taşınabilir cihazların yaygınlaşmasıyla birlikte, öz takip yapan bireylerin sayısı hızla artmaktadır. Bireylerin sağlık parametrelerini, fiziksel aktivitelerini veya davranışlarını izlemek ve kaydetmek amacıyla kullandıkları yöntemlerin toplamı olan öz takip, günümüzde yaygın olarak kullanılmaktadır. Çünkü artık insanlar, akıllı telefonlar ve telefon uygulamaları, akıllı bileklikler/saatler, akıllı yüzükler ve diğer çeşitli teknolojik cihazlar aracılığıyla fiziksel aktivite, uyku, diyet, ruh hali gibi birçok veriyi kaydedebilir ve yaşamlarını düzenleyebilirler. Ancak, mevcut literatürde öz takibin ve bu takibi sağlayan teknolojilerin tüketim çerçevesinde yeterince incelenmediği, ayrıca genel tüketici kitlesi yerine belirli bir grup kullanıcıya odaklandığı belirlenmiştir. Dolayısıyla bu çalışmada, öz takibi akıllı bileklik veya saat gibi teknolojilerle gerçekleştiren bireylerin dijitalleşmeyle birlikte değişen günlük pratikleri ve deneyimleri araştırılmıştır. Çalışmada yaşları 27 ile 54 arasında değişen 14 katılımcıyla yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılarak veri toplanmış ve elde edilen veri tematik analiz yöntemi kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Analiz sonucunda satın alma niyeti, veriyi anlamlandırmak, sosyal çevre, motivasyon olmak üzere dört ana tema tanımlanmıştır. Sonuçlara göre kullanıcıların akıllı teknolojilerden elde ettikleri verilere verdikleri anlamlar ve veri yorumlama sürecinin toplumda var olma çabasını desteklediği fark edilmiştir. Ayrıca bu teknolojilerin kullanıcıları üretici ve tüketici konumuna soktuğu ve beden, yaşam ve sağlığı tüketilebilir nesnelere dönüştürdüğü anlaşılmıştır. Bunlara ek olarak, kişilerin teknolojiyle birlikte nasıl benliklerini şekillendirdikleri tartışılmıştır.
Keywords
Ethical Statement
Bu çalışmanın hazırlanma sürecinde bilimsel ve etik ilkelere uyulduğu ve yararlanılan tüm çalışmaların kaynakçada belirtildiği beyan olunur. Bu makale Prof. Dr. Berna Tarı Kasnakoğlu danışmanlığında Haziran 2023 tarihinde sunulan yüksek lisans tezi esas alınarak hazırlanmıştır.
Thanks
Prof. Dr. Berna Tarı Kasnakoğlu'na destekleri için teşekkür ederim.
