Is This Wearable Making You Depressed?

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Fitbit may help you live #ThatStepLife to get more exercise than most people, but it also might be making you depressed.

A new study from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business shows that step-counters are by in large less happy than those of us walking around with our steps going uncounted.

Tracking devices make users enjoy the activities they’re tracking less. In one test, two groups of students recorded their thoughts for a day while walking. One group had trackers, the other did not. The step-obsessed group walked farther and reported having a worse time than those who weren’t pressured by a wearable to cram another dozen of steps into their stroll.

“We’re curious creatures and tracking information is very seductive, even for enjoyable activities,” Professor Jordan Etkin said. “Simply making it available made them want to look at it, but the very people who self-select into measurement are the ones who are hurt by it.”

Now, you shouldn’t take the results of this study as a reason to give up on your trusty Fitbit entirely. As Etkin points out, “for activities people do for fun, it may be better not to know.” Saving your Fitbit for activities you need to force yourself to do may prove useful, but when you’ve already got a passion for it, leave the Fitbit at home and you’ll probably enjoy it more.

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