Chapter 14: Your days are numbered: active ageing, wearable technologies and surveillance capitalism

In this week’s chapter, the authors, Albert Banerjee, Jacqueline Choiniere, and Martha MacDonald challenge one of the most common ideas we hear about aging: that growing older successfully is simply a matter of making the right choices.

The concept of “active aging” is often presented as an empowering alternative to outdated views of aging that focus on decline and dependency. On the surface, encouraging older adults to stay active, healthy, and engaged seems like a positive shift. But our authors ask an important question: who gets to define what successful aging looks like, and who is being left out of that definition?

Using a feminist political economy lens, they explore how ideas about healthy aging are shaped by broader social and economic systems. Rather than viewing health as purely an individual responsibility, they encourage us to consider the role that access, resources, income, and social structures play in shaping people’s experiences as they age.

One of the most interesting parts of the chapter focuses on fitness trackers and self-monitoring technologies. While these devices are often marketed as tools that help people take control of their health, the authors point out that they also reinforce the idea that individuals are solely responsible for managing their well-being. Health becomes something that can be measured, tracked, and optimized through data.

What stands out in this chapter is the discussion around surveillance. The authors encourage readers to think critically about who has access to health data and how it might be used. From employers and insurance companies to health-care providers and even family members, the growing collection of personal health information raises important questions about privacy, autonomy, and accountability.

Ultimately, the authors of this chapter reminds us that aging is about much more than individual lifestyle choices. If we want to support healthy aging, we need to look beyond personal responsibility and consider the broader social, economic, and technological systems that shape health and well-being throughout later life.

To read more, you can find the full chapter on the Bristol University Press Digital platform.