Untracked activities. How users of fitness trackers value their generated data

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Computer Science - Commercial Information Technology, grade: 1,3, University of Frankfurt (Main), language: English, abstract: Nowadays, people do not only pursue an activity in order to stay healthy, they track this activity to gain a rational judgement about their activity. Through this data, the user gains insights into intangible metrics of everyday life in order to simplify daily activities due to the transparency of the generated data. Is this data more than just the simplification of everyday life? How do the users value their generated data? This thesis focuses on the question of how users value their data generated through tracking. Furthermore, it will be investigated what emphasizes the feeling of loss if an activity remains inadvertently untracked. This bachelor thesis solely focuses on the subjective valuation of data generated through tracking physical activities. To evaluate the subjective value, this work differentiates between activities that the users tracks and activities that accidentally remain unmonitored. This work assumes that this difference between these activities is the added value of tracking data. To evaluate possible factors that emphasize the value of perceived value of data an empirical study is conducted. This study examines the influence of personality traits on the value of data. Furthermore, the users' level of engagement in social comparison to evaluate his or her abilities and levels of trait curiosity are examined as potential factors that affect the value users give to their data. The paper begins with providing a theoretical background of the practice of self-tracking and the applied psychological concepts associated with it. A definition of self-tracking and distinction from similar practices classifies this concept in practices of self-monitoring. Furthermore, the process of self-tracking is explained. Then this paper presents possible factors that could drive the valuation