Of Apps and the Menstrual Cycle: A Journey into Self-Tracking

Abstract

In this chapter, I describe my journey of becoming a user of menstrual tracking apps. I explore how my positionality and the different encounters I have had prior to and during this journey have shaped my understanding and experience of using the app. I am reflexive about how my standpoint constituted my meaning-making processes. I emphasize that through the journey of self-tracking, knowledge was developed in conversation with other users of these apps. I reflect on the tensions I face with regards to giving away personal data to the health app about my body while questioning the advertised possibilities to build body awareness and knowledge through digital traces. My chapter concludes by assessing my methodological choices, stressing the possibilities and limitations of a reflective writing.