KUDOS, SEGMENTS, AND HEATMAPS: SEEKING A MEANINGFUL LIFE USING STRAVA

Abstract

The development and utilization of social media apps creates both opportunities and challenges for users, a phenomenon that includes the endurance sport community. The Strava app, launched in 2009, has grown in popularity to approximately 100 million users as of March 2024. At times referred to as social media for endurance athletes, Strava illustrates a specific form of virtual communication worthy of examination. In this paper the aims are to: 1) describe the app features and its impact on users, both the benefits and the challenges; 2) explore a number of ethical issues associated with using Strava. Methods include a philosophical approach with a particular focus on the American philosophical tradition (e.g., Henry David Thoreau, William James, Henry Bugbee), along with first-person accounts of using Strava for running and swimming workouts.