Ageing with apps A Foucauldian study exploring older people's use of apps in managing their physical health
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
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https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3116143Utgivelsesdato
2023Metadata
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This article explores the incorporation of mobile applications in older people’s physical health management through the lens of Foucault’s concepts on self-governance. Based
on ten interviews with older Danes, the article posits that physical health management practices constitute practices of self-governance, involving participants’ attunement to both physical activity and bodily phenomena, which are both facilitated and optimized through app-based self-tracking. The findings align the rationales driving participants’ efforts with the trajectory of the governmental concept of active ageing. Using apps thus becomes inter- twined with participants’ efforts towards ageing successfully, consequently taking on a dual function: Apps strengthen the adherence to norms of conduct for achieving an optimal ageing process by allowing for ubiquitous self-monitoring and self-assessment. Simultane- ously, I argue that apps may also act as a gatekeeper, as lacking the technical competencies to efficiently use apps hinders effective health management and thus clashes with efforts conforming to active ageing.