How does adolescents' engagement with digital selftracking technologies impact on wellbeing and changing biopedagogies?: An exploratory mixed methods

In one study that did examine gender differences in younger children, Shaefer, Ching, Breen, and German (2016) explored the feasibility of Fitbit devices for fitness tracking in 11-12-year-old urban youths from a "high poverty" school in the United States. The authors found gender-based differences in the use of wearable devices. They found that male participants reported using the device to compete with peers whilst female participants discussed using the device to work collaboratively with their peers and more frequently
framed felt experiences of using the device in terms of affect or emotion. Nevertheless, these patterns are yet to be explored in the adolescent population.
Aims
The purpose of this DPhil research is to help fill this gap in the literature by examining current and changing patterns of adolescents' engagement with, interpretation of and learning through digital self-tracking data. In doing so, the following research questions
will be addressed:
1. With what frequency do adolescents use self-tracking technologies in their everyday lives?
2. Are there observable patterns in adolescents' engagement with self-tracking technologies (e.g. differences according to gender, disability, socioeconomic status or national background)?
3. Are self-tracking practices negatively associated with adolescents' subjective health and wellbeing?
4. How do adolescents engage with and interpret self-tracked data?
5. How do adolescents mobilise and share their self-tracked data (e.g. with peers, parents, educators, healthcare professionals)?
6. Do adolescents perceive that wearable technologies have changed, or have the capacity to change, pedagogical discourses surrounding issues such as 'health' and 'wellbeing', both inside and outside of formal education settings?