In just the past five years, the wearable technology market has increased exponentially,

Transcription

1 In just the past five years, the wearable technology market has increased exponentially, and is only expected to grow more with the next generation of flagship wearables led by large technology companies such as Apple and Microsoft. The appeal of many wearable devices is their fitness tracking capability, designed to monitor and give feedback on user s fitness and wellbeing, in an effort to improve their lifestyles and wellbeing ( Inside Wearables ). Jawbone s UP24 wristband is among one of the top fitness trackers amongst competitors. It can monitor your step count, activity level, sleep patterns, diet, and not only can it do these things, but analyze your data and give you tailored feedback and suggestions to improve your wellness. The bracelet and app are designed for simplicity, and offer small changes to your habits and routine; however, consumers have to weigh the efficiency of devices like the UP24 against the quality of feedback and health information the user receives. With the continual integration of technology in healthcare industries, the UP24 and devices like it are just breaking the tip of the iceberg. In coming years, one of the biggest ethical dilemmas we will face is the balance between care and convenience, which is why considering the ethical implications associated with these devices is imperative for plotting a safe future for the integration of consumer technology and healthcare. The largest constituents for this issue, however, are the corporation s and their motivations, versus that of the consumers. People put their trust in the feedback they receive from the UP24 because it is convenient and rely on the recommendations of the Jawbone corporation to improve their lifestyles. To the corporation, the UP24 are a business, but to the consumer, this fitness tracker is an easy means to a better self or is it? In light of their UP24, consumers may forsake conventional means of healthcare such as visiting a dietician or doctor to receive feedback on how to improve their lifestyles. Many factors attract consumers to the UP24 affordability, simplicity, convenience rather than traditional means of making lifestyle changes. At some point, policy will have to

2 reflect the best way to draw the parameters around a company s obligation to consumers regarding the feedback they are providing, as they are doing it with the intent of improving their health; however, as of now, technology companies are not regulated by the same laws as medical corporations are. What is left to consider is the extent to which companies have the obligation to their consumers to provide a certain standard of health information, and the amount of responsibility consumers have to seek out more acute and personal healthcare practices. The largest issue with newer technologies is the desire for convenience and availability, and what we trade off in an effort for this. The famous ethicist and utilitarian, Peter Singer, makes the point that our own self-interest should be expanded to include the interest of everyone else. His argument relies on the idea that everyone should have a global perspective when making decisions, and to make decisions that will benefit the global good. While Jawbone may not be able to give the same guidance someone s personal physician would, Singer would support that they are doing the world a global good by establishing an affordable and efficient means for the average consumer to manage their health and lifestyle, compared to hundreds of dollars and hours spent with medical professionals to diagnose acute treatment or implement new lifestyle changes. In fact, striving for intensely personal and acute diagnoses, Singer would argue, sets a social standard that is a recipe for global injustice due to its selfish nature ( The Drowning Child and the Expanding Circle ). Singer argues that the healthcare industry should not make it s focus solving everyone s specific and individual needs, but healthcare should focus more on helping the widest range of people as best as possible with solutions that are good enough for most people. Here, the trade off that consumers pay for the sake of convenience and availability is generalized healthcare, which is a positive thing because it makes it available to a larger number of people. Although a distinguished philosophy professor at the Columbia

3 College Chicago, Stephen Asma, would counter Singer s approach to the issue by postulating that this type of universal care is impractical. Asma follows along the lines of Cicero, in that society will be best served if we confer the most kindness with whom we are most closely associated ( The Myth of Universal Love ) This is more along the lines of the traditional healthcare system, where doctors and patients have established relationships and histories, which means more knowledgeable information can be provided by doctors regarding specific patients. Asma would purport that attempting to create a healthcare panacea suitable for all of Jawbone s users is impractical. Here, Asma sees the trade off for convenience as an impasse to better lifestyles for individuals. Jawbone provides a product that helps promote positive lifestyle changes, and that it is good enough for the average consumer. If a customer needs any extra support from a dietician or physician regarding their wellness, it is their responsibility it go seek it out and not be fully reliant on their UP24 device. While Singer would argue that Jawbone does not have the obligation to try and individualize it s fitness tracker to fit everyone s personal needs, Asma would say that the Jawbone corporation is doing harm to consumers by trying to deindividualize the healthcare system. Furthermore, consumers shouldn t be beguiled by the enticing promise of cheap and affordable health maintenance from an UP24 device, compared to a doctor, as they won t receive the individual attention that they need. In fact, the focus should be being able match private physicians and patients, instead of consolidating care practices. This can actually hinder the long term remediation of problems by patching them with short term stopgaps. With this point of view, the use of the UP24 causes more long term harm than good because no one is getting the individual help that they need to thrive, which should be the goal - not just adequate lifestyle maintenance. The Slovenian professor Slavoj Zizek would agree with Asma s case. As he points out in First as Tragedy, Then As Farce, people are drawn towards cultural

4 capitalism. This is the idea that we buy into a product for the redemption of our own consumerism, and that we can fulfill a set of ethical duties through consumerist acts. This type of capitalism is allegedly dangerous, however, because the remedies [that we provide] do not cure the disease, they merely prolong it; indeed the remedies are part of the disease ( First as Tragedy, Then as Farce ). Zizek would argue that by allowing consumers to purchase the UP24, we prolong the problem of our long term health. This is because every individual has a fitness need that is determined by their genes, and the Jawbone fails to provide tailored feedback for an individual, so at most it can only maintain someone s lifestyle, not improve it. Not only this, but by maintaining our lifestyle, consumers obfuscate this maintenance with improvement, so the need for specialized instruction from a dietician or physician is glossed over. The prominent political philosopher Michael Sandel would find fault in Asma and Zizeks argument, however. He would argue that the essential nature of the UP24 device is to provide a way for people to monitor their wellbeing and give them feedback to lead towards a better lifestyle. He would support Singer s claim that Jawbone is doing a service to consumers by giving those who may not be able to afford traditional doctors an affordable and efficient means of managing their health. This is a point even Zizek would offer some concession to, because it s better than nothing as long as we are aware that there is an element of hypocrisy ( First as Tragedy, Then as Farce ). Sandel would, however, be critical of the way that Jawbone markets their product. On Jawbone s main website, the company purports that the UP24 can guide you every step of the way to a better, healthier you. Sandel would place the obligation on the company to inform consumers that the UP24 is a tool for health maintenance, rather than an alternative to physicians and dietitians as the company s statement suggest. The UP24 gives you the ability to be conscious of your own health and utilize the information to make better lifestyle choices, however cannot replace the information a doctor could provide. The device

5 should not be marketed as a magic bullet when it s functionality truncates past the device s essential nature - a fitness tracker. The corporation has the ethical responsibility not to use misleading advertising to overemphasize the functionality of the device, but consumers equally have the responsibility to seek out further healthcare practice from a doctor to receive individualized care. A fitness tracker is a great start to managing your lifestyle, but by no means is it the be-all and end-all. he UP24 and fitness trackers alike open up a Gordian knot of ethical quandaries in the healthcare field. Future policy makers will have to evaluate the best way to protect what is in the best interest of consumers in regards to healthcare.

6 Bibliography Asma, Stephen. "The Myth of Universal Love." Evolving Ideas ed. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil, Print. Ledger, Dan. Inside Wearables: How the Science of Human Behavior Change Offers the Secret to Long-Term Engagement. Endeavour Partners. Web. 29 Sept Singer, Peter. The Drowning Child and the Expanding Circle. Evolving Ideas ed. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil, Print. Zizek, Slovoj. First as Tragedy, Then as Farce. Youtube. Youtube. 28 July, Web. 13 Oct