Week 11 - Reading: Reflections from the 'Strava-Sphere'

Question 1

What did Apple’s App Store commercial in 2009 market?

Answer 1

• New beginning of a new era in mobile technology, emphasizing the transformative power of apps

Question 2

What has reshaped how people engage with their devices and their bodies?

Answer 2

• Intersection of communication and fitness apps

Question 3

What is STRAVA known as?

Answer 3

• The social network for athletes

Question 4

What does STRAVA do?

Answer 4

• Blurs boundaries between communication and fitness apps
• Emphasizing community and motivation

Question 5

Explain STRAVA

Answer 5

• Social Fitness Platform (2009)
• Fostering community and motivation among athletes
• Mainly supports cycling and running

Question 6

What do social networks like Strave offer opportunities for?

Answer 6

• Empowering Exhibitionism

Question 7

What is Empowering exhibitionism?

Answer 7

• Where users actively participate in their own surveillance

Question 8

What do users of Strava share rather than traditional social media content?

Answer 8

• Biometric Data (GPS-tracked activities)

Question 9

What can motivate or demotivate members of Strava?

Answer 9

• Leaderboards
• Comparison to past performances

Question 10

What is the motivation or demotivation that Strava users receive from leaderboards and comparisons to past performances based on?

Answer 10

• Their own self-awareness and personal expectations

Question 11

What does Strave serve as?

Answer 11

Both a tool for
- individual tracking
- sharing and comparing activities

Question 12

What are some privacy concerns regarding Strava?

Answer 12

Data Privacy and Personal Privacy
- Gender differences: women often prioritizing physical safety
- Default setting is public: requires effort to maintain privacy, may limit access to certain features

Question 13

How does Strava contribute to Interpersonal Connections?

Answer 13

• Virtual communities
• ## Enhance social interaction, Extend social networks beyond geographical boundaries

Question 14

What do Strava Users perceive the platform as?

Answer 14

• social support
• motivation
• camaraderie among like-minded individuals

Question 15

What does a users reliance on Strava for tracking and sharing exercise activities reflect?

Answer 15

• Culture of self-improvement and validation

Question 16

What narrative does the Strava platform encourage?

Answer 16

• Narrative of accomplishment and endurance

Question 17

How do strava users frame their activities?

Answer 17

• In terms of challenges and achievements

Question 18

How does Strave reinforce neoliberal narratives of self-improvement?

Answer 18

• Reflects broader societal norms of individual responsibility for health and fitness