The Quantified Self and the Evolution of Neoliberal Self-Government: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

This article examines the “citizen side” of the performance and audit revolution through an exploration of individuals engaged in a “data-driven life.” Through an exploratory qualitative study of individuals’ video logs taken from the “Quantified Self” Web site, we examine how individuals are using information technology and Web 2.0 interfaces to generate data about themselves for themselves. We explore the questions, “Who are the subjects of governing today?” and “How do subjects care for and govern themselves, and how are data put to use?” We analyze the different kinds of self-government, expertise, and practices of the self that are involved in self-quantifying practices. The article concludes by examining the implications of these practices for our larger understanding of governance and the subject of governance in an emerging “info-liberal age.”