Top foods for skin health, supplements for longevity, cold plunges, blue light blocking glasses, inflammation, red light therapy, circadian rhythm, sync your cycle, glucose spikes, cortisol, gut health, seed oils - I am sure you have come across some of these buzzwords in the current repertoire of Instagram wannabe health experts. Throw in some self-tracking technologies, like an Oura ring, and perhaps some more fancy sciency-sounding terms and you have yourself the ultimate wellness influencer “starter pack.”
Perhaps you have already stumbled upon the latest wellness trend on social media: biohacking. Shortly, biohacking refers to the practice of using technology, science, and other tools to alter human biology, aka “hack” life, through self-modification and self-experimentation. Biohacking in its currently most widely known form however, was popularised by Dave Asprey, the self-proclaimed father of biohacking, who founded the Bulletproof brand, known for Bulletproof Coffee. Now, personally, I believe there is nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy and strong, and if biohacking helps you feel your best in your day-to-day, by all means, go for it! However, it is important to be critical of the assertions and promises made by biohackers and perhaps even question our own motivations to partake in the movement. Furthermore, it is always helpful to fact-check claims made on social media and examine influencer’s agenda against the backdrop of their industry. Let’s unpack the premises of the biohacking movement and its implications.
First, let’s get to the roots of the biohacking movement. Broadly speaking, biohacking has been around for a long time. It has (arguably de)evolved from the DIY-biology and Biopunk movements (see e.g. Wohlen’s Biopunk: Solving Biotech’s Biggest Problems in Kitchens and Garages) to the present craze about “hacking” human biology to achieve optimal health, fertility, and longevity. Originally, the DIY-biology movement was all about making science accessible and open to all. It was born out of the desire to take a stand against the medical-industrial complex, which, at least in the opinion of some, treats the symptoms rather than the root causes of disease and focuses on making profit out of sick people. As such, it has centred around producing affordable medicines and tools, like insulin and EpiPens, and sharing production protocols for others to reproduce what they need. Currently, DIY-biology is also being researched for its potential to decentralise and democratise the production of scientific knowledge and technoscientific innovations.
Biohacking in the context of activism against BigBio and BigPharma is a subversive movement, a collective attempt to bring attention to the unjust practices of corporate healthcare. The movement has also empowered marginalised populations, such as trans and genderqueer people, to take charge of their own health by bypassing traditional bureaucratic, often marginalising and exclusionary institutions. It is based on principles of inclusivity, open access, relationality, and collectivity. The anti-establishment sentiment implied in the concept of “hacking” serves to critique the scientific establishment and exclusionary social norms.
More recently, the concept of biohacking has expanded to encompass a broader spectrum of practices, including BioArt, technological self-enhancement, and lifestyle changes such as adopting a rigorous diet and fitness regime or using self-tracking technologies to monitor bodily functions. The more controversial practices of biohacking are pursued by grinders, self-experimentalists aiming to enhance their capabilities beyond natural limitations by e.g. implanting microchips under their skin or using gene editing technology, often for purely aesthetic reasons. In this regard, biohacking has been criticised for its transhumanist underpinnings, transhumanism being a normative program focused on enhancing and transcending the human body through technology. Generally, DIY-biology raises significant ethical questions. Some DIYers have gone as far as attempting to develop and test vaccines or create alternatives (as was the case with Covid-19), perpetuating the notion of self-sacrifice to improve humanity without relying on corporate and institutional agencies. There are many nuances to practising biohacking as a form of citizen science, including questions of inclusivity, access, safety and security, and the extent of regulation.
We need to ask ourselves who these biohackers are. As with any other fitness or diet movement, biohacking readily lends itself to appropriation and commercialisation by a small, mostly white, mostly male, elite. While biohacking is supposedly grounded in inclusive and open science, its current manifestations are exclusionary with biohackers gatekeeping protocols, practices, and resources by putting them behind a paywall. Prices for courses, books, technologies, and supplements can be outrageous or at least add up to a shocking sum in the long term, again creating an industry that is inaccessible for many.
The term biohacking itself is loaded. Biohacking implies that the non-optimised, non-enhanced body is an inferior body and that if you don’t take care of your health yourself, you are failing at life. It suggests that you need to push yourself and transcend your body’s limitations to be your best self. Biohacking makes the body and life itself amenable to modification by human beings, supporting an anthropocentric view of nature as separate from and controllable by humans. Even in its form as a potential driver of innovation and science democratisation, biohacking is embedded in neoliberal discourse that emphasises individual responsibility and productivity - it shapes imaginaries of superhumans who are always ready for the grind.
Biohacking salesmen often hide behind a facade of liberationist talk, leaning on conspiracy theories and pseudoscience. They lure you by promising you can solve ALL your issues if you just put in the work and free yourself from institutional control. I have seen biohackers claiming to relieve chronic medical conditions like endometriosis through biohacking alone. I feel like this claim is highly problematic and dismissive of the experiences of people who live with chronic conditions. Of course, some claims are grounded in actual, rigorous scientific research and others are effective at highlighting real issues, such as the role of corporations in controlling the food industry or as simple as the importance of sleep. But unfortunately, and this is the case especially for popular biohacking, the combination of poor research practices and pseudoscience birth unfounded claims, which are at times borderline ridiculous . For instance, imbuing objects with positive frequencies to gain protection from electromagnetic fields (EMFs) (yes, EMFs are very well researched, and no, there is no rigorous scientific research proving that EMFs are harmful, especially because they are very well regulated). Yet, the movement and its claims sell. Primarily due to sales tactics such as fear mongering, preying on people’s scientific illiteracy, and casting doubt - exactly the same strategies used e.g. by companies to undermine climate action.
Biohackers appeal to people by highlighting health rather than looks, health being considered a more virtuous endeavour. However, if we look closely, health in this context is just beauty standards playing dress-up. Because ultimately, health is equated to being thin, having flawless skin, and living as long as possible without looking old.
I urge you to critically reflect upon who you take medical advice from. Be wary of anyone who asserts that all your health problems are your responsibility, anyone who misuses MD accreditations and certifications (as is often the case with naturopaths and online academy graduates), anyone who pretends that reading a few (usually not academically rigorous) studies makes them an expert on the topic and anyone who sells you wonder cures. Because in the end, they are salespeople who actively search for proof to confirm their claims and not for what may or may not be true.
Maybe it is time to consider not jumping on just any bandwagon that proclaims to bring fulfilment and happiness into your life but to stop and ask yourself: what do I actually need? Maybe it’s time to see beyond the health and fitness obsession and appreciate our body for what it can do and for what it enables us to do. The thing is, yes, you have a say in your own life, yes, you should take care of yourself but healthcare is a collective practice. Health is a complex phenomenon, irreducible to diet, supplements, and tech - social factors play a huge role, too. Contesting the system is also a collective practice, you alone are not responsible for meeting your health needs, especially the ones that should be covered by public services. Focusing on self-optimisation diverts attention from fighting for justice and investing in self-help courses and supplements only feeds back into the system that it supposedly criticises. You are giving your money and attention to those who, in YOUR health, saw a capitalistic venture and consequently, capitalised on it to grow their wealth. I understand that trust in the medical-industrial complex is not at an all-time high, and very understandably so. But this is why it is important to use your voice to advocate for collective action and better healthcare practices. Let’s shift the responsibility to provide healthcare back onto institutions and governments.
So no, I don’t biohack. I do sports, I eat a fairly balanced diet, and I take one or two supplements. I don’t invest in fancy equipment or expensive treatments, nor do I pay excessive attention to what I eat, in what order, or when. To some extent, we all biohack. But what metaphors and language we use, shapes how we see life and ourselves. If we call it biohacking and start seeing life and our bodies as amenable and quantifiable entities, we are subconsciously endorsing and perpetuating potentially harmful ideals and values and reducing human existence to numbers and tweakable codes. So instead of biohacking, let’s take care of ourselves and each other, not for the purpose of becoming superhumans but to make life enjoyable here and now.
Kommentarer