‘Walking in their shoes’: How does externally worn diabetes technology mediate with the lifeworld of adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Abstract

Despite the high prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) among young people, there is limited understanding of how diabetes technologies affect their lives. What is it like to be a young person grappling with the challenges of T1D? How do therapeutic approaches sculpt their experiences? In what ways are medical devices constitutive of their embodiment? Through interviews with adolescents, this phenomenological study explores how insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, and other paraphernalia affect adolescents' lived experiences. Key existential themes are articulated as an experience of: living interrupted, being made visible, living monitored, and the ambiguity of technological dependency. We show the potential complexity of adolescents' experiences with T1D technologies. While the technologies function as helpful tools, they may also be experienced as burdensome and intrusive on adolescents living of their lives. By being attentive to adolescents experiences, this study contributes to the development of patient-centered approaches to T1D care and offers critical reflections on the role of wearable technologies in chronic disease management.