Mind Tracker as a mediating technology of organization
Aleksandra Przegalińska · 2019
This chapter dwells on the mind tracker as a particular technology of organization. After introducing the concept of self-tracking and the historical development of wearable technologies, it discusses the rise of self-tracking communities focused on using wearable technologies to ‘enhance’ the mental and physical capacities of their members. Subsequently, the concept of the mind tracker is analysed. Mind trackers have worked along a bodily trajectory, looking to combine awareness of the inner workings of the brain with outward features such as facial expression in order to then recognize certain affective states. Mind trackers claim to provide information on one’s state of mind, sleep pattern, emotional spectrum, and the strength of emotions. In doing so, their producers declare that the devices can assist in improving focus, reduce stress, and increase attentiveness. They can, however, bear serious consequences in the context of privacy, transparency, and coercion, particularly in the organizational context.