Prelims

Antonio Francesco Maturo (University of Bologna, Italy)
Veronica Moretti (University of Bologna, Italy)

Digital Health and the Gamification of Life: How Apps Can Promote a Positive Medicalization

ISBN: 978-1-78754-366-9, eISBN: 978-1-78754-365-2

Publication date: 16 October 2018

Citation

Maturo, A.F. and Moretti, V. (2018), "Prelims", Digital Health and the Gamification of Life: How Apps Can Promote a Positive Medicalization, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. i-ix. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78754-365-220181001

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited


Half Title Page

Digital Health and the Gamification of Life

Title Page

Digital Health and the Gamification of Life: How Apps Can Promote a Positive Medicalization

Antonio Francesco Maturo

Veronica Moretti

University of Bologna, Italy

United Kingdom – North America – Japan India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2018

Copyright © 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: permissions@emeraldinsight.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78754-366-9 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-78754-365-2 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-78754-367-6 (Epub)

Contents

About the Authors vii
List of Figures and Tables ix
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Self-Tracking and the Quantification of Everyday Life 9
Chapter 2 Getting Things Done: Gaming and Framing 29
Chapter 3 How Apps Foster Medicalization 47
Chapter 4 The Self of the Quantified Self 71
Chapter 5 The Dark Side of Digital Health 85
Chapter 6 The Positive Medicalization: Digital Meditation 105
Chapter 7 Exercise is (also) Medicine 133
Chapter 8 Conclusion 151
Appendix: Questionnaire Digital Meditation 153
References 157
Index 169

About the Authors

Antonio Francesco Maturo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Business Law at the University of Bologna, Italy. He taught Sociology of Medicine at Brown University for several years. His research interests are connected to the sociology of health. He has written several articles about the phenomenon of medicalization and digital sociology.

Veronica Moretti is a Research Fellow in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna, Italy. Her research interests focus on the intersections between technologies and human activities, with specific emphasis on the sociology of health, surveillance studies and science, technology, and societal approach.

List of Figures and Tables

Figures

3.1: The DIS Combinatory 61
6.1: Headspace Followers 111
6.2: Features of Gamification (a) 112
6.3: Features of Gamification (b) 113
6.4: Productivity 113

Tables

4.1: Use of Cognitive Improvements: Pros and Cons 77
6.1: Did You Complete the Meditation? 115
6.2: During the Experimentation Period 115
6.3: During the Meditation Program 115
6.4: Discussing the Meditation Experience 116
6.5: Preferences of Meditation 116
6.6: Opinion of Meditation 117