Metadating

Abstract

We introduce Metadating-a future-focused research and speed-dating event where single participants were invited to 'explore the romance of personal data'. Participants created 'data profiles' about themselves, and used these to 'date' other participants. In the rich context of dating, we study how personal data is used conversationally to communicate and illustrate identity. We note the manner in which participants carefully curated their profiles, expressing ambiguity before detail, illustration before accuracy. Our findings proposition a set of data services and features, each concerned with representing and curating data in new ways, beyond a focus on purely rational or analytic relationships with a quantified self. Through this, we build on emerging interest in 'lived informatics' and raise questions about the experience and social reality of a 'data-driven life'.

Flexible and Mindful Self-Tracking

“…Journaling practices have been investigated in many fields such as personal information management [31,60], life logging [56], chronic illness management [48,64], personal informatics [20,35], and applied research methods [8,21].…”

Quantified Baby

“…We look to Rooksby et al's [55] concept of "lived informatics" as a framing for the use of baby wearables, as it does not try to reduce the messiness of everyday life. This is particularly important for examining intimate personal domains [16], such as the care of an infant in the home Looking to the 'quantified baby', it is of interest to examine how a wearable baby monitor product might be embedded in everyday messy parenting practices. Although there has been research on motherhood in the HCI domain, studies of opinions on baby monitors [47], reviews of baby monitor marketing materials [33], and speculative papers on the possible future of quantifying a baby [19,45], there is minimal research on the situated use of baby monitors, particularly novel wearable devices.…”

On Speculative Enactments

“…Metadating [32] sought to explore how quantified data relates to identity, and in particular how people would rehearse and perform identities around their data with others. We wanted to hear people talk about and with their data: to make jokes with it, to brag about it, to disavow it or defend it.…”

“…This was an explorative mode of design-led research -to open up new playgrounds for further study. Metadating did not lead us to develop a new dating app, but revealed to us the need for a range of new interactions for people to selectively curate, and socialize with, their data [32].…”