Healthy competition: Wearable health trackers can motivate healthier behaviors, but can they be taken too far?

Wearable health trackers monitor everything from how many steps we take in a day to how well we sleep at night. But does this technology actually encourage better health? Does hearing that little voice declare "exercise ring closed" actually motivate people to work out? That's the question Natalie Pennington decided to answer. An assistant professor of communication studies at Colorado State University, Pennington looks at interpersonal communication and the use of communication technology. Pennington spoke to CSU’s The Audit about her recent research on how motivating wearable health trackers really are, and the role technology can play in helping or harming our health.