Tracked and fit: FitBits, brain games, and the quantified aging body

Abstract

This paper explores the technical turn to new ways of quantifying and standardizing measurements of age as these intersect with discourses of anti-aging and speculative futures of 'smart' quantified aging bodies. Often couched in a metaphorical language of 'smart', 'fit', 'boosting' and 'optimizing', the aging body is emerging as a node for data collection, monitoring, and surveillance. The research is located in the current literature that links aging, bodies and technologies, with specific extended examples of wearable devices such as fitness trackers and digital exercises such as brain games designed for memory performance. Conclusions suggest that new technologies around aging and quantifiable fitness create an ambiguous image of the aging body and brain as both improvable and 'plastic' but also inevitably in decline.

Keywords: Aging body; Cognitive culture; Digital technologies; Self-tracking.