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Datafication is a technological trend turning many aspects of our life into data,[1][2] which is then converted into information, thereby manifesting as a new form of value.[3][4] This concept was introduced to the broader lexicon in 2013 by Kenneth Cukier and Viktor Mayer-Schönberger.[5] Prior to this, datafication had been predominantly associated with the analysis of representations of our lives captured through data, but not on the present scale. This transformation can be attributed to the impact of big data and the computational opportunities afforded to predictive analytics.

Datafication is not the same as digitization, which takes analog content—books, films, photographs—and converts it into digital information, a sequence of ones and zeros that computers can read. Datafication is a far broader activity: taking all aspects of life and turning them into data [...] Once we datafy things, we can transform their purpose and turn the information into new forms of value[2]

Ideology

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Datafication has an ideological aspect, called dataism:

"The drive towards datafication is rooted in a belief in the capacity of data to represent social life, sometimes better or more objectively than pre-digital (human) interpretations."[6]

Examples

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Datafication is often applied to social and communication media. Some examples include how Twitter datafies stray thoughts, as well as datafication of HR by LinkedIn and others.[citation needed]

Other examples include aspects of the build environment, and design via engineering and or other tools that tie data to formal, functional, or other physical media outcomes. Data collection and processing for optimal control (e.g., shape optimization) is another example.[citation needed]

Impact

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Health care

The datafication of health occurs at various levels and in different areas, including:[7]

  • Data-driven medical research and public health infrastructures, such as biobanks and government databases;
  • Clinical healthcare, including continuous patient monitoring, implantable biosensors, internet-based doctor-patient communication and personalised or 'precision' medicine, collectively described as digital health, eHealth, mHealth, or Health 2.0;
  • Self-care practices, including direct-to-consumer genetic and microbiome testing websites, health-related peer-to-peer social media and a wide range of wearable fitness and health devices and smartphone apps.
Human resources
Data obtained from mobile phones, apps or social media usage is used to identify potential employees and their specific characteristics such as risk taking profile and personality. This data will replace personality tests. Rather using the traditional personality tests or the exams that measure the analytical thinking, using the data obtained through datafication will change existing exam providers. Also, with this data new personality measures will be developed.[8][9]
Insurance and Banking
Data is used to understand an individual's risk profile and likelihood to pay a loan.
Customer relationship management
Various industries are using datafication to understand their customers better and create appropriate triggers based on each customer's personality and behaviour. This data is obtained from the language and tone a person uses in emails, phone calls or social medias.[10]
Data security
Scammers seek out sensitive information like bank info, social security, or other important credentials to sell.[11]
Street lamps in Amsterdam have been upgraded to allow municipal councils to dim the lights based on pedestrian usage.[12]
Smart city
Through the data obtained from the sensors that are implemented into the smart city, issues that can arise might be noticed and tackled in areas such as transportation, waste management, logistics, and energy. On the basis of real-time data, commuters could change their routes when there is a traffic jam. With the sensors that can measure air and water quality, cities can not only gain a more detailed understanding of the pollution levels, but may also enact new environmental regulations based on real-time data.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Newell, Sue; Marabelli, Marco (2015). "Strategic opportunities (and challenges) of algorithmic decision-making: A call for action on the long-term societal effects of 'datification'". Journal of Strategic Information Systems. 24 (1): 3–14. doi:10.1016/j.jsis.2015.02.001. S2CID 20948367. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Cukier, Kenneth; Mayer-Schönberger, Viktor (2013). "The Rise of Big Data". Foreign Affairs. 92 (May/June): 35. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  3. ^ O'Neil, Cathy; Schutt, Rachel (2013). Doing Data Science. O'Reilly Media. p. 406. ISBN 978-1-4493-5865-5.
  4. ^ Mejias, Ulises A.; Couldry, Nick (2019). "Datafication". Internet Policy Review. 8 (4). doi:10.14763/2019.4.1428. hdl:10419/214090.
  5. ^ Biltgen, Patrick; Ryan, Stephen (1 January 2016). Activity-Based Intelligence: Principles and Applications (1 ed.). Norwood, MA: Artech House. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-60807-876-9. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  6. ^ Hintz, Arne; Lina Dencik; Karin Wahl-Jorgensen (2019). Digital citizenship in a datafied society. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-5095-2716-8. OCLC 1028901550.
  7. ^ Ruckenstein, Minna; Schüll, Natasha Dow (2017). "The Datafication of Health". Annual Review of Anthropology. 46: 261–278. doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-102116-041244. hdl:10138/228891. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  8. ^ Moore, Melissa. "Turning Personality Into Data". Mattersight, The Chemistry of Conversation. Mattersight Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  9. ^ a b "THE IMPACT OF DATAFICATION ON STRATEGIC LANDSCAPES" (PDF). ericsson.com. Retrieved 18 Oct 2025.
  10. ^ Moore, Melissa. "Turning Personality Into Data". Mattersight, The chemistry of Conversation. Mattersight Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  11. ^ Nguyen (Dennis) (2023-05-23). "How news media frame data risks in their coverage of big data and AI". policyreview.info. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
  12. ^ Amsterdam Smart City. "Amsterdam Smart City ~ Climate Street". Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
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idea. These theories aim at taking into account the ever-increasing datafication of contemporary societies (symbolically linked to the Snowden leaks)

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more informed decisions and navigate digital platforms. The process of datafication, which is turning more aspects of life into data, has wide reaching effects

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critically examine the impacts of datafication by reimagining people and places. Milan and Treré have contended that datafication as a privileged practice carried

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due to the constant "datafication" of everyday consumers of the internet, in which all forms of data are tracked. The datafication of consumers can be

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Security Division (NSD) of the government of Pakistan. IPRI focuses on datafication, digitalization, and analysis of information relevant to policy decisions

Isa Ali Pantami

Navigating Academia\ Building A Digital Economy for a Digital Africa Datafication of Society to Foster an Internet Economy Counter- Terrorism Through Cybersecurity

Social stigma

clinical desire to make mental health issues visible and actionable through datafication and the need to keep mental health issues hidden and out of the view