Means of Motivation or of Stress? The Use of Fitness Trackers for Self-Monitoring by Older Adults

BackgroundCurrent technological progress enables individuals to survey their own behaviour with the help of wearable electronic devices [14]. The independent and individual documentation of exercising and other health indicators like weight, blood pressure, or sleep patterns [8] is an intensively growing area, denoted by the term self-monitoring [20]. Using systems for self-monitoring individuals get access to important information about themselves and might even establish a more active doctor-patient-relationship [1]. Further development and performance of sensors in smartphones [16] and other smart wearable de…