Publication: An analysis of body perception in contemporary society within the context of digital health technologies in fitness centers in Istanbul
Abstract
Dijital teknolojiler ve tüketim kültürü, günümüz toplumlarında bireylerin beden algısını ve sağlık anlayışını önemli ölçüde dönüştürmüştür. Bu dönüşüm bağlamında fitness merkezleri, bireylerin dijital sağlık uygulamalarıyla bedenlerini izledikleri, değerlendirdikleri ve yönettikleri sosyal mekânlar hâline gelmiştir. Bu araştırma, İstanbul’un Suadiye semtindeki fitness merkezlerinde egzersiz yapan bireylerin dijital sağlık teknolojileri aracılığıyla şekillenen beden algılarını sosyolojik bir bakış açısıyla incelemiştir. Araştırma kapsamında 10 katılımcıyla fitness merkezlerinde yüz yüze derinlemesine görüşmeler yapılmış, 5 katılımcıya ise kartopu örnekleme yöntemiyle ulaşılmıştır. Çalışmanın verileri, yaş, cinsiyet, meslek ve egzersiz alışkanlıkları bakımından çeşitlilik gösteren katılımcılarla yapılan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerden elde edilmiştir. Nitel içerik analizi yöntemiyle çözümlenen verilerde, bireylerin fitness yolculuğunu şekillendiren beş temel dinamik incelenmiştir. Bu dinamikler; gündelik yaşamı dönüştüren fitness rutinleri, motivasyonu etkileyen sosyal ve dijital çevre, bedene dair öznel algılar, performansı ölçen dijital öz-izleme pratikleri ile sosyal medya ve tüketim alışkanlıkları etrafında yoğunlaşmaktadır. Yapılan analizler, sosyal medyadaki idealize edilmiş beden sunumlarının spora yeni başlayan katılımcılarda bir karşılaştırma mekanizmasını tetiklediğini, deneyimli bireylerin ise zamanla bu içeriklere karşı eleştirel bir farkındalık geliştirdiğini göstermektedir.
Digital technologies and consumer culture have significantly transformed individuals’ body perception and understanding of health in today’s societies. In the context of this transformation, fitness centers have become social spaces where individuals monitor, evaluate and manage their bodies with digital health applications. This research examines the body perceptions of individuals exercising in fitness centers in the Suadiye district of Istanbul, shaped by digital health technologies, from a sociological perspective. Within the scope of the research, in-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face in fitness centers with 10 participants, and 5 participants were reached through the snowball sampling method. The data of the study were obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with participants who varied in terms of age, gender, profession and exercise habits. In the data analyzed with the qualitative content analysis method, five basic dynamics that shape individuals’ fitness journey were examined. These dynamics are focused on fitness routines that transform daily life, social and digital environments that affect motivation, subjective perceptions of the body, digital self-monitoring practices that measure performance, and social media and consumption habits. The analyses show that idealized body presentations on social media trigger a comparison mechanism in participants who are new to sports, while experienced individuals develop a critical awareness of these contents over time.
Digital technologies and consumer culture have significantly transformed individuals’ body perception and understanding of health in today’s societies. In the context of this transformation, fitness centers have become social spaces where individuals monitor, evaluate and manage their bodies with digital health applications. This research examines the body perceptions of individuals exercising in fitness centers in the Suadiye district of Istanbul, shaped by digital health technologies, from a sociological perspective. Within the scope of the research, in-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face in fitness centers with 10 participants, and 5 participants were reached through the snowball sampling method. The data of the study were obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with participants who varied in terms of age, gender, profession and exercise habits. In the data analyzed with the qualitative content analysis method, five basic dynamics that shape individuals’ fitness journey were examined. These dynamics are focused on fitness routines that transform daily life, social and digital environments that affect motivation, subjective perceptions of the body, digital self-monitoring practices that measure performance, and social media and consumption habits. The analyses show that idealized body presentations on social media trigger a comparison mechanism in participants who are new to sports, while experienced individuals develop a critical awareness of these contents over time.