The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant threats to both physical and mental well-being of the world at large. At a time when coming in proximity with others signified possible exposure to a deadly virus, everyday activities from attending classes and buying groceries to practicing mindfulness were moved online, to the digital realm. For those who lived through this pandemic, our lives were impacted by this rapid digital transformation as much as by the virus itself. For this senior thesis, I am writing a story of mindfulness from this particular moment in history. This story of mindfulness consists of two parts: a Foucauldian genealogy of mindfulness (Part I) and a case study of Headspace, a popular smartphone application for mindfulness (Part II). In Part I, I investigate some of the discourses around mindfulness over its long history. Tracing this genealogy of mindfulness leads us from ancient Buddhism to hospitals to Silicon Valley. In Part II, I analyze Headspace using a science and technology studies (STS) methodology called the Walkthrough Method to deepen understanding of how digitalization further shapes present-day conceptions and practices of mindfulness. Through telling a story of mindfulness, I attempt to unravel who enjoys headspace and health from mindfulness today and seek an opportunity for collective mindfulness.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Author-supplied Keywords","value":["Mindfulness","Digitalization","Walkthrough method"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 23879