20/1/2015

Whatisthe"internetofme"?AgendaTheWorldEconomicForum

ScienceandTechnology

Whatistheinternetof
me?
ByAndreSpicerandCarlCederstrm
Jan202015
Comments

32

Thesocalledinternetofthingshasbeenthetalkofthe
technologyworldforyearsnow.Consumerelectronicsfirmsare
exploringwaysofconnectingallmannerofpersonalandhousehold
objectstotheinternet,therebyextendingtheirfunctionality.
Someofthesedevicesareundeniablyveryuseful,suchas
householdthermostatswhichallowustologonatadistanceand
turnonourheatingbeforeheadinghome.Butothersarefrankly
ludicrouswitnessthesmarttoothbrush.
Despitetherushtoconnectallourhouseholdobjectstothe
internet,thereisanevenmoreimportanttechnicaltrendwhichhas
appearedinthepastyearorsotheinternetofme.Insteadofjust
wantingtohookupourhomeappliancestotheinternet,wehave
startedtotakeourbodiesandbrainsonline.
Theinternetofmelooselyreferstotechnologywhichconnectsour
mindsandbodieswiththeonlineworld.Ittransformsourbiological
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andcognitivelifeintostreamsofdatawhichcanbemonitored,
sharedandshaped.
Cuesadmusic
Basicselftrackingtechnologieshavebeenavailableforsometime.
TherearethenowrelativelyubiquitousfitnessdeviceslikeFitBitor
Jawbonewhichtrackyourmovements,sleepandotherbiological
functionssuchasheartrate.Inthepastfewyearswehaveseena
waveofsmartwatchesreleasedwhichallowconsumerstomonitor
theiremailsbutalsotheirskinresonance.Thereisalsoawealthof
appsthataskyouaboutyourmoodsthroughouttheday.Theidea
isthatyoucanworkoutinwhichsituationsyouaremosthappyor
sad.
Nowconsumerelectronicgroupshavegoneevenfurtherby
offeringdeviceswhichscanyourbrain.Onedevicecalled
Melomindkeepstrackofbrainwavesandoffersmatchingmusic.
Youcanevengetwearabledevicesforyourpetwhichallowyouto
tracktheirbiologicalandneurologicalfunctions.
Unlikeprimitivebiologicaltrackingdevices(suchasthe
pedometer),manynewtechnologiesallowtherapidsharingofour
mostintimatebiologicalandcognitiveinformation.Sometimesthis
entailspeopleuploadingandsharingdataabouttheirsleep
patterns,howfartheyhaverun(andthepreciseroute),ortheir
dailycalorieintake.
Atothertimes,itcantakeonmoreextrememeasures.Fervent
membersofthelifeloggingmovementhavedevisedwaytotrack
almostanythingwhichcanbetracked.Onelifeloggerreportsthat
hetrackshiswifesmenstrualcycle.
Invasivetech
Thistrendshouldbecauseforconcern.Collectingdataabout
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ourselvesinthismannerwillunleashanenormousamountofdata.
Employerscanbegintokeeptrackoftheiremployees,notjustat
work,butatalltimes.Insurancecompanieswillbegivenfullinsight
intohowpeoplelivetheirlives.Companiescantrackourconsumer
behaviour,thusfindingoutthemostprivatethingsaboutus.
Famously,ateenagegirlwassentcouponsforcarseatsand
nappies.Thegirlsfathercomplainedtothecompany,accusing
themofencouragingteenpregnancy.Whenhelaterfoundoutthat
hisdaughterwasinfactpregnant,hecalledbacktoapologise.She
hadnttoldanyone,butherconsumptionpatternhadrevealedthe
secret.
Eventhoughtheriseofbigdataraisesprofoundissuesabout
privacy,weshouldnotjustbeworriedaboutBigBrotherstyle
snoopingbycorporationsandgovernmentagencies.Perhapswe
shouldbemoreworriedabouttheimplicationsclosertohome.It
seemsthatthemostsinisterandpunishingfigure,whomost
ferventlytracks,monitorsanddisciplinesouractivities,is
ourselves.
Inrecenttimeswehaveseenmoreandmoreappsapplyingthe
logicofbehaviourism.Basedontheheavilycriticisedmethods
oncedevelopedbyBFSkinner,theseappsalternaterewardsand
punishmenttoreinforcepositivebehaviour.Onesuchexampleis
theGymPact.Usersofthisappspecifyhowmanytimesaweek
theyintendtogotothegym.Intheeventofthemmissinga
session,whichiseasilyfoundoutthroughtheGPS,theyneedto
pay$5.Thismoneyisthensharedequallyamongthosewhohave
followedtheirindividuallysetgoals.
AmoreextremeversionofthisisPavlok.Tobreakbadhabits,this
appsendsoutelectricshocks.Orastheslogangoes:thehabit
changingdevicethatshocksyou.Ifyoubiteyournails,oversleep,
orprocrastinateyouwillbehandedoutapunishment.Theappis
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marketedasapersonalcoachonyourwrist.
Bodyfascists
Theseappsdonotjustshapeourbehavioursothatwewillbecome
moreproductivepeople.Theyalsopromisetomakeushealthier
andhappier.Pavlokliststhegreatenemiestoday:smoking(is
givingyoucancerandwrinkles),fastfood(ismakingyoufat),
sittingallday(ismakingyoufat).Havingbadhabits,itseems,
meansbeingabadperson.Riddingyourselfofthesesinsmay
meanadministeringalittleselfflagellation,oratleastoutsourcing
thatactivitytoanapp.
Asweargueinournewbook,TheWellnessSyndrome,wellness
hasbecomeamoralimperative.Tobeamorallygoodperson,you
needtoexercise,eatcorrectlyanddefinitelynotsmoke.Withthese
newapps,webegintoseethemoresinistersideofthiswellness
command.Whenweacceptthathavinganunhealthylifestyleis
akintobeingabadhumanbeing,thenitbecomesacceptedto
punishpeoplewhoareunwell.Or,asfatandunhealthypeoplewe
shouldnotsitandwaitforotherstopunishus.Weshouldtakeon
thejobourselves,untilwehavedisciplinedourselvesintoa
respectableperson,whowearstheshiningsymbolsofahealthy
lifestyle.
Wemightwellbemovingfromtheinternetofthingstotheinternet
ofme.Yet,itseemsthatwhattheinternetofmeisreallyachieving
istoadvancenewwaysoftreatingtheself,notasaperson,butas
athing.
ThisarticleispublishedincollaborationwithTheConversation.
PublicationdoesnotimplyendorsementofviewsbytheWorld
EconomicForum.
TokeepupwithForum:Agendasubscribetoourweeklynewsletter.
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Author:AndreSpicerisaProfessorofOrganisationalBehaviour,
CassBusinessSchoolatCityUniversityLondon.CarlCederstrm
isalectureratStockholmBusinessSchool,StockholmUniversity.
Image:Anillustrationpictureshowsaprojectionofbinarycodeon
amanholdingalaptopcomputer,inanofficeinWarsawJune24,
2013.REUTERS.
PostedbyAndreSpicerandCarlCederstrm10:35
Allopinionsexpressedarethoseoftheauthor.TheWorldEconomicForumBlogisanindependent
andneutralplatformdedicatedtogeneratingdebatearoundthekeytopicsthatshapeglobal,regional
andindustryagendas.
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