The Personal Side of Data

One surefire rule of technology culture: if a trend can draw page views, it will be hyped. Few recent technology innovations have been hyped as hyperbolically as big data. And for good reason. From the ubiquitous mobile device in our pocket, to the Fitbit on our wrist, it’s easy to get excited about the potential of logging every waking – and sleeping – moment. 

On its face ‘data’ is still a reasonably abstract idea that we don't frequently ponder. When we do think about data and information, we tend to think of binary code and bits stored on far-off servers in the cloud. At no point in history have humans captured more information about personal activity. It’s almost unnecessary to remark on our capability to capture, store, and retrieve from the cloud Snowden-sized buckets of information.

Yet data – especially the notion of so-called big data – often feels cold and abstract. Does greater information awareness equal a better life? It’s easy to argue that the simple availability of information can often result in a cluttered sea of confusion. In the same way that too many choices of Android phones can lead to consumer decision-making anxiety, access to large buckets of data isn’t always useful.

But as technology innovation moves from the screen to corporal life, information access is also becoming easier to understand and more personal. And in the process the notion of ‘data’ is becoming less abstract. 

Bending the curve simply describes the process of making incremental progressive change to an otherwise flat behavior pattern. Imagine a simple line graph with both an X and Y axis, where X represents a specific length of time, say five years, and Y represents the rate of change, say weight lost or gained. A linear curve rises or falls in a relatively straight line. But by setting goals based on limited sets of relevant information positive change can be made over time. 

Members of the ‘quantified self’ movement argue that awareness of information coupled with peer pressure can produce a positive curve-bending impact on health goals. 

Activity tracking devices like the Fitbit and Nike+ place emphasis on only the most relevant information like steps taken and calories burned, rather than drown users with every possible statistic. 

"I walk everywhere now," said Laughing Squid's Scott Beale, when asked about the impact personal data tracker Fitbit had on his routine, "I just did a 9 mile round trip to LES and back to my downtown apartment."

The guiding theory behind curve-bending devices like activity trackers is that dramatic change is difficult to make, and even harder to maintain. Yet small, incremental behavorial adjustments are easier to make and have the potential to yield more powerful long term results. Simply by being aware of his walking, Scott is encouraged to repeat and make slight improvements over time to increase healthy behavior patterns.

Or, simply: with context, access to data can result in greater agency.

Access to information produced a positive improvement to the quality of Scott's exercise and city experience, yet required he do little more than strap a small but obsequious device to his pocket, then venture outside to explore. Applied at large scale, this type of incremental behavior change can reduce health care costs and have a dramatically positive quality of life impact on a large percentage of the population.

Information awareness applied at scale is also improving cities like New York and Los Angeles. By crowdsourcing data both cities have developed models that forecast what types of crime occur at particular times and in specific locations. New York's Citi Bike program bends the curve by using data to both relieve transportation congestion, and encourage healthy activity.

Wired recently implored its readers to ignore trends and focus on long data; information that grows and becomes more personal and nuanced with time. With each step we become more aware of data’s ability to influence our behavior. Of course, the hype surrounding so-called big data is as intangible as information itself, and is sure to fizzle quickly. Yet personal data awareness can lead to positive and profound cultural and personal changes.