A Content Analysis of Wired Magazine and Self-Tracking Devices

Abstract

Living in a modern society is becoming more complex, so in order to keep up with, a person should accomplish various kinds of task at once. Daily life requirements, obligations and the capacity of human memory lead us to collect and control our behaviors, bodies and lives through self-tracking devices. Aim of this paper analysis of emerging digitalized self-tracking trend through content analysis of Wired Magazine. Wired Magazine, both in printed and online, monthly, publish technology related articles how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy and politics. It reaches more than 30 million people each month through wired.com, digital edition. Since the term 'quantified self' emerged for the first time in Wired Magazine, for this reason Wired Magazine is one of the most important sources to be used for content analysis. This present study carries out a content analysis of all the issues until December 2016 through 'self-tracking' and two other related terms: 'quantified self' and 'lifelogging'. The usage period and popularity of these terms and, the relation network with the main topics and the sub-topics are examined. As a result, it is possible to define wired magazine as a medium in which industry-academia and users come together and, feed each other reciprocally. Wired Magazine have contributed significantly and continues to contribute to the development of the digitalized self-tracking trend in terms of its content.