Cited by 3Innovative Human-Technology InteractionDigital Mental Health InterventionsDigital Media and Philosophy

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 11 of the 11 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 11 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Buddhist-inspired Self-tracking Apps: Tracking Emotions and Values in a Digital Era

Open access
McGuire, Beverley·2020·Journal of the Japanese Association for Digital Humanities

Abstract

This paper examines two self-tracking apps inspired by Buddhist ideas and practices but designed for the broader public: Mitra: Track What Matters Most and Stop, Breathe & Think. It shows how the apps enable users to develop greater emotional and ethical awareness, and it argues that their minimalist and customizable design features help mitigate against users becoming dependent on the technology itself. It then illustrates ways that other apps like Calm instead seek to lure users into their technology and keep them there. It concludes with a discussion of how such hooks and attention-economic strategies strengthen habits of consumption.

Overview

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.17928/jjadh.5.2_43

Cites

11 of 11 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

22 Own interpretation · 7 No basis given · 4 Sources not found · 4 Not checked yet · 4 Own result · 1 No full text of the sources

Show all 19 claims

  • The quote only partly states this claim. 5
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 12
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 17
23 of 23
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    App design features can cause or mitigate user dependence on the technology.

    “its minimalist and customizable features mitigate against users becoming dependent or constrained by the app”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Users' self-reports about their increased introspection and behavior change are accurate and meaningful.

    “they reported increased introspection and daily reflection after using the apps”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The author's interpretation of app design intentions matches the designers' actual intentions.

    “Calm employs a variety of external triggers to hook the user”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Emotional and ethical awareness are valuable goals that apps should promote.

    “increase emotional awareness”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The attention economy's strategies strengthen habits of consumption.

    “such hooks and attention-economic strategies strengthen habits of consumption”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The effects observed in the author's college student study generalize to the broader public.

    “Users report feeling more self-aware after they track their emotions and values regularly.”
6 of 6

Citations

Cites

Show all 11 references

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. “ Ericka D .” 2017. Review of “Mitra”. Common Sense Education. Updated February 2017. https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/mitra-track-what-matters-most.
  2. Eyal, Nir . 2014. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products. New York: Penguin.
  3. Gardner, Howard , and Katie Davis . 2014. The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World . New Haven: Yale University Press.
  4. Turkle, Sherry . 2015. Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age . New York: Penguin.
  5. Veidlinger, Daniel . 2015. “Introduction.” In Buddhism, the Internet, and Digital Media: The Pixel in the Lotus, edited by Gregory P. Grieve and Daniel Veidlinger, 1–20. New York: Routledge.
  6. Winston, Diana . 2002. “ Filling Our Heads and Instant Fulfillment: A Buddhist Muses on the Internet. ” ReVision 24 (4): 4–6.

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Metadata

Authors
McGuire, B.
Corresponding author
McGuire, Beverley
Venue
Journal of the Japanese Association for Digital Humanities
Published
2020-12-25
Volume
5
Issue
2
Pages
43-60
ISSN
2188-7276 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3115133067
Cited by
2
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
Journal of the Japanese Association for Digital Humanities (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Innovative Human-Technology Interaction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Digital Media and Philosophy
Keywords
Buddhism, emotion monitoring, emotional awareness, moral consciousness, mindfulness apps, CALM, technology addiction, attention economy, habit formation, minimalist design

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Buddhist-inspired Self-tracking Apps: Tracking Emotions and Values in a Digital Era. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.17928/jjadh.5.2_43
The paper
McGuire, B. (2020). Buddhist-inspired Self-tracking Apps: Tracking Emotions and Values in a Digital Era. Journal of the Japanese Association for Digital Humanities. https://doi.org/10.17928/jjadh.5.2_43