Smart fitness devices have an unexpectedly negative impact on human health, causing the so-called nocebo effect
To begin with the terminology, it must be said that "nocebo" is not an ingenious play on words, but is an actual Latin term which, when translated, refers to hurting. Specifically, in the case described, it refers to a situation where negative feedback reduces a person's confidence in their own health. Thus, the nocebo effect is able to essentially override what a person is feeling or even worsen their symptoms. In practical terms, this means that if you don't wake up in the morning in the best shape, or even if you are in pain, and your smart device confirms this condition, it is quite possible that you will not try to overcome the (even momentary) indisposition, but simply give in to it. After all, even your watch says you are sick!
The omniscient technique
It can be said that, at least until now, the discussion about the use of various smart devices to monitor physical activity and health has been purely positive. At the same time, the popularity of all these smart devices has grown hand in hand with it - after all, up to 365 million people worldwide own one, and the interest in smart watches/wristbands/rings is growing year by year. As Business Insider reports, various Apple Watch models alone took four of the top ten spots on the list of most purchased items on last year's Black Friday. And users themselves basically can't get enough of how omniscient these devices are - not to mention, their biometric data is collected with a level of accuracy and intensity that wasn't even common for professional athletes and Olympians 25 years ago. But the question is whether anyone really needs such detailed information to function on a regular basis...
Well, today's times are full of challenges, even health ones. The average age at which people live is slowly increasing, but longevity is also associated with, for example, heart disease and a whole host of other problems. The emphasis on respiratory health cannot be ignored in the context of the current pandemic. For this reason, all possible monitoring of body functions has become indispensable for many people - they can keep a constant overview of everything that is happening in their body (or even what deviates from the normal norm), as well as trace how body functions change, for example, in connection with the changing seasons, but also with changes in daily routine, etc. All this is undoubtedly great, but everything has its limits.
Too much of everything is harmful, even information
While modern technology is doing people a great service, on the other hand, for example, the availability of information today is so enormous that it is hardly possible to choose only what is really important. And this is exactly what can be said about data from smart devices. Yes, their usefulness cannot be denied, but on the other hand, one can feel literally overwhelmed by the detail of the information on offer. According to Bloomberg's Tim Culpan , an expert on modern technology, "regular alerts telling you that you are stressed, tired, unfit or simply unproductive can also increase feelings of inadequacy on a psychological level and even increase perceptions of pain on a physical level. "This can then be illustrated by the example of athletes who regularly undergo concussion protocols - they are the ones who, over time, begin to show poorer neurocognitive performance when reminded of the number of head injuries they have sustained. It's as if the subconscious is "discouraging" them from thinking positively.
And the research on the nocebo effect itself, which was first conceptualized in 1961, should not be overlooked. And even then it showed that pain perception can increase with shifts in information and detail. Simply put, the more detailed (and unpleasant) information people have about their health, the worse they may feel. With the increasing prevalence of modern "health trackers", then, the nocebo effect creeps into almost everyone's daily life, in part because people have learned to "trust the data".
Get rid of demotivation
Thus, it is undoubtedly nice to know how, for example, alcohol consumption or extreme stress can affect performance the following day. Those who exercise frequently can also use the information provided by smart devices as a guide to when they can still work out, and when to take their "foot off the gas". On the other hand, even information about unsatisfactory fitness from a watch should not be a signal for anyone to act like a slob. Indeed, while a constant flow of data can be helpful in optimizing various habits as well as improving health, the opposite can also be true. Because sometimes there are simply situations where one feels really bad, and the last thing one needs is to be reinforced in that belief by the ubiquitous technology. In fact, the best service that a device like this could do at that moment is to provide positive support and reinforcement. And so the watch should stay with the simple information "you are great and you feel great too"...
