The fortnightly Media faculty-led Research Seminar will be taking place this Wednesday 23rd October at 4pm in G22, Jubilee Building, University of Sussex.

Details are as follows:

Dr Aristea Fotopoulou: ‘Climbing Gotzilla: Apps, sensors and all these data’

As a health-related, cloud-based consumer electronics device, FitBit monitors a small range of activities linked to weight loss and fitness activity. In this presentation, I focus on how the user interface (device screen, phone app and website) emphasises the gaming and social networking dimensions of the object, with badges and regular encouraging messages to the user, such as ‘Love Ya!’. Through this analysis I locate tracking sensors alongside the technoscientific visions that circulate in digital culture, and critically discuss emerging self-management behaviours.

Dr Aristea Fotopoulou is postdoctoral Research Fellow based at the University of Sussex working at the intersections of media & cultural studies with science & technologies studies. She currently works on EPINET(EC FP7) in a media analysis of emerging technologies, and also explores practices of data sharing and algorithmic living (Project Tracking biodata: sharing and ownership, RCUK Digital Economy NEMODE), and also is engaged in SusNet, a digital platform of feminist cultural production, art and activism. 

This Seminar is organised jointly with the Centre for Material Digital Culture and Digital Humanities (MDCDH) University of Sussex.

Chair: David M. Berry

This paper presents work that has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under the grant EPINET Integrated Assessment of Societal Impacts of Emerging Science and Technology from within Epistemic Networks; and by RCUK Digital Economy NEMODE Tracking biodata: Sharing and ownership.