Investigating the Tracking Anxiety and Dependence of Smartwatch Users Based on Physiological and Fitness Data

Smartwatches are widely used for tracking user physiological and fitness data and are efficient in health management and fitness promotion. However, smartwatch usage exhibits certain negative effects, such as anxiety and dependence. Although the presence of these negative effects has been verified, the widespread existence and degree of these effects on users are not sufficiently investigated. In this study, we explored the tracking anxiety and dependence of 509 smartwatch users based on physiological and fitness data. Our analysis results indicated that users became anxious when their physiological data were abnormal and experienced dependence when tracking sleep status, heart rate, and exercise. Furthermore, tracking anxiety and dependence influenced the smartwatch usage, even causing a few users to consider stopping its usage. Based on these results, we provide design implications for smartwatch designers to improve the user experience of tracking physiological and fitness data.