The paradoxical effects of menstrual cycle tracking apps: Manufacture and regulation of “premenstrual syndrome” emotions
Type de matériel :
18
The social norm of regulating one’s emotions in order to obey certain conventions has been the subject of much research. In the case of women, this injunction to control one's emotions is linked to persistent prejudices about the “deregulation” of their bodies and moods, especially in the premenstrual period. This article, based on observation of user forums and immersion in four menstrual cycle tracking apps, shows that these digital spaces are places where the experiences of emotionally distressed women are welcomed and legitimized. However, these digital practices also provide an opportunity for the development and circulation of techniques and products that convey injunctions to self-control, based on women’s aspirations for greater autonomy over their bodies. These paradoxical aspirations, between self-acceptance and submission to a logic of self-entrepreneurship, come together in the same injunction to “authenticity” and “positivity,” requiring continuous and ritualized “emotional labor” to collect, regulate, and manufacture one’s emotions. This article is a contribution at the crossroads of two phenomena, the pathologization of women’s bodies and the diffusion of “emodities,” in a digital context. In addition, the analysis of woman-machine interactions raises ethical questions about the design and development of applications, calling for further research into the role of digital technology in current transformations regarding women’s health.
Réseaux sociaux