CHLOE MARTEN
QUANT HUMANISTS
SPRING 2018
29 01 2018
Assignment 1: Blog Post: Quant Self Project Review, link to assignment
Below outlines 3 self-tracking projects I analyzed.
Project Description: Robby Macdonell thought he was a good driver, which he defined as not spending much time on his phone while driving. He decided to prove this point by comparing his driving time with the times he used his smartphone. To track his driving time, he used Automatic – an app and dashboard plugin, and to track his phone usage, he used RescueTime – a software that measures time spent on applications/websites. When he correlated the two data points, he was shocked to find that he spends about 25% of driving time on his phone. He discovered that he spent the majority of the time using his phone to take calls or look up directions, which he claimed was understandable. He also found that he would unconsciously pick up his phone at stoplights to view notifications, browse Facebook, or look something up on Google – all actions that he thought were unnecessary. With this realization, Robby made few changes to kick his phone usage while driving, such as silencing his notifications. Most significantly, Robby concluded he should spend less time in the car and bought a bike in order to avoid distracted driving. With these changes, Robby decreased his phone usage from 28% (his peak phone usage) to 12%.
Broader Significance: Overall, Robby’s personal project is an example of phone addiction and its potential dangers. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2015, 3477 people died and another 391,000 were injured due to distracted driving. If phones were taken out of the equation, would these numbers decrease? Are people disciplined enough to cut out phone usage while driving? According to Robby’s project, he used his phone unconsciously, and when he made changes to cut his habit, he was still using his phone 12% of the time while driving.
Why It’s Interesting to Me: Based on my own analysis of Robby’s project, it appears that people do not have the free will to refrain from using their phones in potentially dangerous scenarios, such as operating a car. Even though Robby was aware of his phone habits, he admits to still using his phone while driving. As car companies and computer scientists further develop autonomous cars, projects like Robby’s will help justify why humans should not drive.
Project Source: The Data Is in, I am a Distracted Driver.
Project Description: Jakob Eg Larsen practiced longitudinal tracking by measuring his sleep for 6 years and his resting heart rate for 4 years. He used several devices to track this data, including manual (his own spreadsheet), Basis watch, Oura ring, and a first-generation Fitbit. He initially started his project skeptical, unsure of why people need to track sleep and heart rate and was if self-tracking devices can be trusted. Overall, he found that the 3 devices he used - Basis, Oura, and Fitbit - provided similar data sets. As far as sleep, he did not come to any significant personal insights, but he did find value in his resting heart rate. Overtime, Jakob discovered spikes in his heart rate, which he was able to correlate with major illnesses. Jakob has become so familiar with his own heart rate that he is now able to associate short-term spikes with variables such as stress or alcohol consumption. If he is unable to predict a reasoning, then it generally means he is developing an illness.
Broader Significance: Self-tracking devices provide several types of data tracking, claiming to help people better understand themselves and reach their goals. With Jakob’s project, he showed that tracking in itself does not provide meaningful insight. It’s through long-term tracking and self-awareness that empowers users to draw their own conclusions about themselves.
Why It’s Interesting to Me: A few months back I bought a Fitbit as a way to take control over my own data. In the time I have used it, I have not come to any meaningful insights regarding my health, causing me to question the overall value propositions of self-tracking devices. Through Jakob’s project, as well as class study, I have realized that self-tracking can provide a plethora of data, but it is through specific questions and self-reflection that only one can come to meaningful insights.
Project Source: Tracking My Sleep And Resting Heart Rate.
Project Description: Peter Torelli started tracking his personal finances in 1995 as a way to budget during college. He used his credit card statements and a spreadsheet to track his budgeting before moving over to Quicken – a personal finance management tool – once it was available. For over 20 years, Peter tracked his finances, resulting in a large data set of his spending habits. When looking at line graphs of his spending overtime, Peter was able to recall specific moments and periods in his life. For example, spikes in gas purchases arose memories of road trips with friends, while peaks in dining out meant periods of dating. He calls it “financial ledger scrapbooking.”
Broader Significance: Peter’s project is an interesting method of self-tracking. I am not sure most people think of their life in terms of financial transactions, but personal finance tracking is probably the one type of tracking that most people do. It is also a type of tracking that people don’t necessarily share with others. When you go on a trip, for example, you show friends pictures rather than receipts of where you went. It is possible that we find finances to be too personal of a data point, one that we cannot manipulate, or that we personally do not think of this type of data as meaningful.
Why It’s Interesting to Me: I am interested in the idea of your personal finances as a reflection of who you are. In our Western society, it is difficult to do most things without spending money. Therefore, one might conclude that your interests are hidden in your financial transactions. Since Mint came about in 2006, tons of financial tracking apps have flooded the market aiming to help people save and budget. From my experience, these apps can provide deeply personal insights. I would be interested in using financial tracking as a way to paint a picture who I am.
Project Source: 20 Years of Memories Tucked Away in Personal Finance Data.
Really interesting and thoughtful analysis of these projects, @cloemar10 (also, love that your github name uses a pun). I like how robust the meta-analysis is on each of their tracking attempts. It's convenient and rad that you have a fitbit and possibly (?) use mint!
FWIW, I think people avoid showing receipts because of shame but it could be cool for you to develop a similar "inverse" scrapbook or showcase of the data no one ever divulges 😄