I had to learn to trust my body again: Exploring the emotional and behavioural impact of wearable activity tracker discontinuation and reasons for removal.

While wearable activity trackers (WATs) are widely used in the present day, with device ownership increasing, some individuals subsequently discontinue device use. Existing research primarily examines the initiation and maintenance of device use, with less focus on device discontinuation. Examining this phenomenon can provide valuable insight into human-computer interactions and habit reversal. Therefore, the current study examined the perceived emotional and behavioural impact of WAT discontinuation, alongside reasons for this action in former WAT users. Fifteen former WAT users (9 female, aged 23 to 56 years) who reported either full or partial device discontinuation were interviewed. Three themes and nine sub-themes were identified which detailed the impacts of device discontinuation. Participants reported a mindset shift around ones body image, exercise performance and exercise motivation. Device discontinuation removed numerical feedback provision which led to participants gaining bodily intuition and a sense of freedom. However, discontinuation also resulted in short-term negative emotions including frustration around the loss of external praise and envy in current WAT users. Current findings hold important implications around digital safety from user perspective, highlighting the need for guidance around healthy WAT use and vulnerable user profiles. More broadly, findings also raise the need for physical activity promotion whilst protecting individuals well-being.