Flash Glucose Monitor
| Flash Glucose Monitoring System | |
| Object date | 2018 |
| Place of Origin | Multinational (headquarters USA) |
| Designer | Abbott |
| Manufacturer | – |
| Materials | plastic, metal |
by student Alves Ludovico
One may consider cyborg narratives to be realities of a distant future. I used to think the same until I became a plausible cyborg. It is easy to realize that smart devices have been shaping our perceptions for decades but not at the level that embodied hardware devices do. In parallel with the ideas shared (in our course) about diasporic solidarities, I believe that the use of this device has triggered a sense of belonging towards the diabetic community. The act of controlling my condition is now more present and visual, a white, round-shaped object is attached to my arm 365 days a year. This is a current practice for all the device users and it has allowed me to identify many of my “diabuddies” in Helsinki and in the world. When I encounter a user of the device I feel connected and compassionate, I experience what is to live with the condition, our routines and diet dilemmas are similar. Looking at it from a nationalist angle, often I do feel more connected to a diabetic person than to Portuguese people with whom I share a language and other qualities.
Image
Picture taken by student, 2020.
Responses