Habits from Hyperconnected Solitude

Since the introduction of the smartphone, our social and private lives are increasingly mediated by algorithms as habit trackers, even more so in the pandemic and post-pandemic world. During the outbreak of COVID-19, I ended up alone in my flat, isolated, with no human contacts other than those medi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Performance research 2023-08, Vol.28 (6), p.105-106
Main Author: Bentivegna, Francesco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Digital technology
Habits
Lifestyles
Loneliness
Pandemics
Privacy
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Summary:Since the introduction of the smartphone, our social and private lives are increasingly mediated by algorithms as habit trackers, even more so in the pandemic and post-pandemic world. During the outbreak of COVID-19, I ended up alone in my flat, isolated, with no human contacts other than those mediated by social networks and apps. I spent the entirety of my first lockdown in complete solitude, becoming one with the digital technologies around me. Numerous mental health centres provided online counselling, as much as private companies developed automated, artificial intelligence (AI) based mental health apps such as Mindstrong and Headspace. Other kinds of self-care and self-management apps raised and doubled the amounts of downloads: home workouts, sleep monitoring and recording, dieting and meal planners became valuable tools to track habits and the spread of the virus. I downloaded them all. I became a hyperconnected human, with a clear schedule decided by a 'wellbeing plan' constructed by different apps, which would suggest a 'habit' that was good for me. I woke up at 7 a.m., did yoga, cooked breakfast and so on, in a constant repetition, which eventually led me to algorithmic alienation. I became my habits.
ISSN:1352-8165
1469-9990
DOI:10.1080/13528165.2023.2334648