Oura recently released a new feature for its popular sleep-tracking Gen3 ring: the ability to see trends in daytime stress.
Not long after, an intriguing thread popped up in a subreddit dedicated to the Oura ring. Some of its 40,000 members were perplexed by what the Oura app reported about their stress levels.
Much to their surprise, the commenters said it seemed that they were always stressed. Some wondered if the new feature was buggy. But others didn't like how the data made them feel, hinting at the unintended mental health implications of tracking.
"I'm stressed eight hours a day since this new feature has rolled out which is making me stressed," wrote one commenter. "How do I shut it off!"
The conversation pointed to a persistent tension undergirding efforts to track, or even surveil, your own health around the clock. Such data can empower the user, but it can also sew doubt and worry — perhaps where there wasn't any before.
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Dr. Vaile Wright, a psychologist and senior director of health care innovation for the American Psychological Association, said these different outcomes depend on the person.
"For some, tracking provides a critical ability to recognize and identify triggers," Wright said. "For others, however, it could actually increase stress, distress, and hypervigilance."
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