Azure Grant

May 11, 2017

Joost Plattel: I’ll share my phone usage data, and how changes to my apps have influenced my habits. 

In a little over a month, the global QS community will come together in Amsterdam for the 2017 Global Quantified Self Conference to share what they’ve been learning with personal data. If you’re like me, your phone might as well be attached to your body. As my near-constant companion, my smartphone can a be powerful source of information on everything from my exercise to my communication habits, but can also be a bit of a time sink for mindless procrastination.

Over the past couple of years, QS Amsterdam meetup co-organizer Joost Plattel has been analyzing when he picks up his phone, and for how long. More recently, he’s been looking at how app changes (ahem, deleting Facebook) influence these habits. This summer at QS17, Joost will share the insights gathered from this project. It’s a classic case of how small and often unconscious decisions add up, and that slight behavioral changes can be useful in the long run. Thankfully, Joost is taking the time to do the math. Joost is a data strategist and public speaker interested in creating open source analytics for quantified-selfers. Joost has previously given talks on analyzing his public transit data and what he learned about tracking teams as a part of his startup Qount.us.

QS conferences are organized to support the exchange of ideas, and we’re always inspired by what we learn. The next one is coming up June 17-18 in Amsterdam. We’ll see you there. (Thanks to xkcd for the injection of absurdity).