With the latest Apple Watch measuring heart rate and Fitbits measuring every step we take, the presence of health data tracking technology today seems practically ubiquitous. This technology is allowing people to understand their own bodies more than ever before with the help of just a few taps but, for some people, this information overload can have a more confusing than helpful effect.
According to the CDC, 7.3 million women in the U.S. experience fertility issues, and those who use self-tracking technology face multiple challenges. Just as our bodies are so unique, so are people’s responses to this technology. Many find it helpful to gain insights into where their body is at in their cycle, how their temperature impacts the timing of their ovulation, and how different supplements affect them. Others, however, can feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they are presented with and don’t know where to start. Without clear guidance, these feelings can lead to frustration and even hopelessness.
In a recent Huffington Post article, two researchers detailed their findings on how women’s use of fertility tracking technology generally falls into five categories:
- Positive - users are eager to see data and anticipate results
- Burdened - usually caused by a large amount of data being tracked that causes stress, but users are generally still positive about the process
- Obsessive - tracking data occupies a large portion of the user’s attention leading to higher levels of frustration
- Trapped - may occur when users have been trying to conceive for a considerable amount of time but don’t feel like they can discontinue tracking
- Abandoning - when tracking becomes emotionally burdensome and negative results lead to frustration, so users stop tracking temporarily or permanently
