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We argue the notion of flow is valuable for understanding both the temporal lock-ins of self-tracking practices in sequences and repetition, and the way self-tracking technologies thrive on data sequences for retaining users and creating viable businesses. To substantiate this, we present a qualitative empirical study of how users experience flow when tracking various aspects of their personal lives. Users find self-tracking technology and the metrics they generate to have much more limited relevance and thus guide their attention elsewhere. If they are hooked, they are so in ways different from those projected by the technology. Users find meaning in their self-tracking in moments of registration, allocution, consultation and conversation, but also problematize their attachment to specific temporal tracking regimes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444818778542","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,1]],"date-time":"2018-06-01T06:51:00Z","timestamp":1527835860000},"page":"4590-4607","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":47,"title":["The temporal flows of self-tracking: Checking in, moving on, staying hooked"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5672-7298","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stine","family":"Lomborg","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen, Denmark"}]},{"given":"Nanna Bonde","family":"Thylstrup","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen, Denmark"}]},{"given":"Julie","family":"Schwartz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Copenhagen, Denmark"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,5,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1369118X.2015.1118520"},{"key":"bibr2-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2055207617699767"},{"key":"bibr3-1461444818778542","first-page":"16","volume":"14","author":"Bordewijk JL","year":"1986","journal-title":"Intermedia"},{"key":"bibr4-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444816644566"},{"key":"bibr5-1461444818778542","volume-title":"Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience","author":"Csikszentmihalyi M","year":"1990"},{"key":"bibr6-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444817698478"},{"key":"bibr7-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jcr\/ucv095"},{"key":"bibr8-1461444818778542","volume-title":"Regarding Television: Critical Approaches\u2014An Anthology","author":"Feuer J","year":"1983"},{"key":"bibr9-1461444818778542","volume-title":"Tracking for Health","author":"Fox S","year":"2013"},{"key":"bibr10-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444817711449"},{"key":"bibr11-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2979\/3108.0","volume-title":"Technology and the Lifeworld: From Garden to Earth","author":"Ihde D","year":"1990"},{"key":"bibr12-1461444818778542","volume-title":"The Social Semiotics of Mass Communication","author":"Jensen KB","year":"1995"},{"key":"bibr13-1461444818778542","first-page":"237","volume-title":"The Video Game Theory Reader 2","author":"Juul J","year":"2009"},{"key":"bibr14-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444818755650"},{"key":"bibr15-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2750858.2804288"},{"key":"bibr16-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1369118X.2015.1067710"},{"key":"bibr17-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.2483549"},{"key":"bibr18-1461444818778542","volume-title":"Digital Sociologies","author":"Lupton D","year":"2017"},{"key":"bibr19-1461444818778542","first-page":"647","volume":"12","author":"Lupton D","year":"2018","journal-title":"International Journal of Communication"},{"key":"bibr20-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7551\/mitpress\/10421.001.0001"},{"key":"bibr21-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2055207617712590"},{"key":"bibr22-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14461242.2016.1184580"},{"key":"bibr23-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2702123.2702384"},{"key":"bibr24-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2053951717700924"},{"key":"bibr25-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/soc4010068"},{"key":"bibr26-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1369118X.2016.1203975"},{"key":"bibr27-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444815609081"},{"key":"bibr28-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1738826.1738829"},{"key":"bibr29-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/9781400834655"},{"key":"bibr30-1461444818778542","volume-title":"Keeping Track: Personal Informatics, Self-Regulation, and the Data-Driven Life","author":"Sch\u00fcll ND","year":"2016"},{"key":"bibr31-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.poetic.2006.05.003"},{"key":"bibr32-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444816636090"},{"key":"bibr33-1461444818778542","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203426647"},{"key":"bibr34-1461444818778542","unstructured":"Wolf G (2010) The data-driven life. 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