Discover how technology can enhance both your health goals and social circle!

We are increasingly using technology to track data about our health. This includes devices like pedometers or smartwatches that also measure your heart rate or track your sleep. We also set health goals using this technology, such as how many steps you want to take each day. Did you know that your friends, family, and acquaintances play a big role in how you set and achieve these health goals? Whether it’s talking about health together or motivating each other, it makes a difference. Yet, pedometers and smartwatches mostly focus on you alone. Working together towards a healthier life is more powerful than doing it alone.

We want to change this! In our research, we explore how sharing and collaborating with others can become a part of these technologies. Share your opinion and help us discover how we can make technology more social and effective!

What are we working on?

Fitness trackers, such as pedometers and smartwatches, are a popular way to live healthier by setting goals. Previous research shows that people often adjust their goals based on those around them, such as friends, family, and acquaintances.

However, fitness trackers are usually used individually. When others are involved, it’s often about competition or showing off what you’ve achieved. But what if we could design technology that truly collaborates and motivates?

We have developed three concepts that show what this could look like. Now, we want to know: what do you find important? What works well, and what could be improved?

What do we ask of you? 

After registration, we will send you an online survey to complete. You will watch a 3-minute video about the concepts and then answer a few open-ended questions about your opinion. The survey will take a maximum of 15 minutes to complete.

Optionally, after the survey, you can participate in a group discussion. At the end of the survey, you can provide your email address to join a live discussion of the concepts on the University of Twente campus. This group discussion will last 1 hour.

Who can participate and when? 

You can participate if:

• You are 18 years or older
• Your English skills are good. Unfortunately, the video and survey are only available in English.

The research runs from november until december 2024. 

get to know the researcher!

 sign up

Thank you for your interest in signing up for the project 'Working together on health - with technology'. Please fill in your details below, and the researcher will contact you.

• Participation in scientific research is always voluntary.
• If you sign up for a study, you will always receive an automatic confirmation email. This email will inform you about when to expect to hear from the researcher.
• The researcher will contact you, providing more information about the study and allowing you to ask any questions.
• After the contact with the researcher, you will confirm whether you want to participate. At that point, you will complete a 'Consent Form'.
• Once you give your consent, you will receive a copy of the consent form.
• An ethics committee has reviewed this research and given a positive recommendation. This means the committee has confirmed that the research is scientifically sound and will be conducted in accordance with participants' rights.
• Your contact details will only be used as you wish. We will only share your information with the researcher of the study you wish to participate in. If you have selected to stay informed about new studies, you will receive a message no more than once a month. If this changes, we will contact you first.
  Read here in detail how we handle personal data.