Survival of the (Data) Fit: Self-Surveillance, Corporate Wellness, and the Platformization of Healthcare

Abstract

The emergence and proliferation of smart sensor technologies has enabled the self-tracking of everyday life in an unprecedented manner as the logic of quantification and datafication extends to diverse aspects of life, including education, work, and healthcare. This development is epitomized by the numerous corporate wellness programs that are based on the use of self-tracking tools. Faced with increased competition, Fitbit, one of the most popular brands in wearable self-tracking devices, recently launched the Fitbit Care platform. Its aim is to establish itself as the leading actor in employee corporate wellness programs by providing comprehensive offerings that include self-tracking tools, apps, digital interventions, and personalized health coaching. Focusing on the Fitbit Care platform, this paper examines the intersection of self-surveillance, corporate wellness, and healthcare, highlighting the socioeconomic inequalities propagated by the ideology of dataism that privileges those who are able to engage in activities that generate desirable data.