I Did 10,000 Steps so I Earned This Treat: Problematic Smartwatch Use and Exercise Tracking Associations with Compensatory Eating and Sedentary Activity
Date
2025-03-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
Abstract
Smartwatches are digital devices, similar to smartphones, and come with the possibility of problematic use. Problematic technology use is the experience of psychological distress or reduced daily functioning in response to excessive or addictive technology use. The purpose of this study was to explore whether problematic use of smartwatch devices for exercise tracking influences user’s health behaviors such as eating habits and sedentary activity. An online survey was conducted among college-aged smartwatch users (n = 221). Results showed that using smartwatches for exercise tracking has a positive relationship with compensatory eating behavior (i.e., increasing caloric intake after exercise) when the use is higher in problematic use. This study concludes that although smartwatch devices are promoted to aid healthy behaviors, their impact on positive health outcomes may be limited for some users, to the extent that compensatory eating can derail fitness goals and may exacerbate eating behaviors. Future research should aim to develop health messaging for smartwatch users to make them aware of the potential for compensatory eating behavior to undermine their goals in the face of excessive smartwatch use for fitness purposes.
Description
This is the original submission version (pre-peer review) of the following article: Siddika, Aysha, and Morgan E. Ellithorpe. “I Did 10,000 Steps so I Earned This Treat: Problematic Smartwatch Use and Exercise Tracking Associations with Compensatory Eating and Sedentary Activity.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 28, no. 3 (March 1, 2025): 211–16. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2024.0204 which has now been formally published in final form at Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking at https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2024.0204. This original submission version of the article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers’ self-archiving terms and conditions.
This article was originally published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking Volume 28, Number 3, 2025. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2024.0204.
© 2025, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
Keywords
smartwatches, problematic technology use, exercise tracking, compensatory eating, physical activity
Citation
Siddika, Aysha, and Morgan E. Ellithorpe. “I Did 10,000 Steps so I Earned This Treat: Problematic Smartwatch Use and Exercise Tracking Associations with Compensatory Eating and Sedentary Activity.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 28, no. 3 (March 1, 2025): 211–16. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2024.0204.