In the past few years, tracking health and fitness routine on a fitness app and gadgets have mushroomed worldwide. Fitness gadgets has become a major industry in a short span of time. With so many apps, gadgets struggling for users’ attention, people now have become more aware about their health. People use these gadgets to track their 10,000 steps everyday to jogging, cycling, swimming and other physical activities. But according to a report in Bloomberg, you must think twice before tying that fitness gadget to your wrist.Also Read – Explained: Why Your Joints And Shoulders Hurt More in Winters
Wondering why? According to the Bloomberg, with more devices strapped to people’s bodies, noceboes are now creeping into every day life as people put more faith in data to guide their habits. “It’s about sleep for me, because I will wake up and feel pretty darn good and then I’ll look at my score and sometimes it’s not pretty darn good, ” fitness podcaster and Youtuber Ali Spagnola says. “And I can tell that I will actually feel worse after that.” Also Read – Omicron Scare: After Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft Cancels In-Person Presence at CES
What is Nocebo?
Nocebo is a Latin term, meaning “I shall harm,” it is the opposite of placebo which means “I shall please”. Nocebo can make you feel worse about your health when you receive negative data about your health. Also Read – Omicron Threat In India: States Impose Curbs Ahead Of Christmas And New Year | Watch Video to Know Guidelines State-Wise
Wearing that fancy fitness gadget 24X7 can impact your mental health in some way or the other, according to report. By using technology for health tracking may have unintended negative consequences that users need to watch out for, as per screenrant.com.
According to new research by Eoin Whelan, a senior lecturer in business information systems at the National University of Ireland, fitness apps and gadgets can become obsessions for some people, leading to negative mental health consequences. The most problematic aspects of these apps are the social sharing features that often create unhealthy competition among users, leading to anxiety and emotional stress if someone else’s data shows better results. Users also often simply give up on their fitness goals because the numbers aren’t showing progress.
The Bloomberg report also highlighted that the nocebo effect has become inherent in social media. Apps like Instagram and Facebook are making users feel anxious and depressed. The constant feedback of hits likes, and retweets has undermined what should be appreciations of creativity.