Episode
Are Health Trackers Making Us Obsessed?
- Podcast
- KQED's Forum
- Published
- Aug 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3285
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Fitness trackers have exploded in popularity, and wearable users swear by the data. But psychologists say these devices can lead to anxiety and obsession. Endlessly checking sleep scores and step counts is part of the problem, but the bigger concern is that even favorable numbers don’t mean we’re actually healthy. Adam Clark Estes, senior technology correspondent for Vox, did his own fitness tracking experiment, and Dr. Thea Gallagher is a psychologist who works with patients with obsessive disorders. They’ll join us to talk about what’s driving our desire to quantify our lives, and how we can get better at using tech to support our physical and mental health. Guests: Dr. Thea Gallagher, clinical associate professor, Department of Psychiatry at NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine; Digital Mental Health, Outcomes, and Wellness Coordinator at NYU Langone Health; licensed clinical psychologist and anxiety specialist Adam Clark Estes, senior technology correspondent, Vox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices