Reporter. Just like everyone else and shes looking for answers and thankfully with the help of team expect a few of the. Thank you is not life as we know it. In. Our new web series. According to my fitness took ive already taken 2628. 00 steps today and i got 7 hours of deep sleep thats about average this devise can even determine my mood seriously but is that really a good thing how healthy is self optimization autopsy today on ship. Doing got enough exercise to eat the right food have i had enough water today am i. Relaxed enough according to a recent survey about 33 percent of the global population has already tried out Digital Health records the market for fitness wearables has tripled since 2017 and it looks set to grow much more say experts why are we so obsessed with self improvement and is there something wrong with us not according to a psychologist you wouldnt mongst off. The principle. Is a part of developing further which is one of the humans fundamental needs its part of all of us but there is a difference when we talk about self optimization this entails reaching optimum capacity. And this is often linked to self value and status. We try to get fitter and its better to improve our bodies but what about our. Well also apps and gadgets that contract our mental well being and in these times of crisis many are starting to use such trackers but how do they work i took a closer look. No question the world has asked more often its also what ive been asking myself for days now ive been using delio to track my mood in the morning at midday and in the evening i can choose from 5 emotions this morning i would say that im good. I tell delio what im doing im feeling translates the data into statistics. Theyre holding the riot move trick is Available Online they are almost like digital diaries a place to record on hold and activities. Evaluate this information and draw conclusions about psychological health. Cant really analyze the uses. A person can have so many different emotions. Very complex and these apps can simplify complex matters in such a way that they might end up being not useful. Delio can only track my mood when im using it actively it doesnt know what happens in between and that information doesnt turn up in the statistics. I dont think was that useful for me personally but it could be helpful to record ones daily activity in order to recognize certain patterns but to do so you already have to know yourself quite well. That take other factors into account quite a bit. Now that im in the office its time for the next test feel wristbands can measure the sweat on the users skin this information will be linked to mood related data. I will input my mood into the app now thats a joyous because i get to see my colleagues the respond to some biometric data on my Blood Pressure for example and translates them into emotional patterns and recognize them when im joyous in the future. I dont know how precise these measurements are but on the basis of my responses to questions about concrete situations be able to propose certain mindfulness exercises there are all kinds of variables such as these on the market now some claim that they can recognize or use emotions through their voice others detect and measure brain activity all these headbands wristbands rings measure physical data and give advice on how to improve Mental Health some even say that they can help people to overcome depression but you did my list of has some warning words in this regard. We should remember that we should never transfer responsibility for our own life to the psychological well being of our health to a digital app it can be helpful to use them but its very important not to use them responsibly and. Be aware of the risks that afflict supply. After work i like to switch off and this muse had been says it can help according to the makers it uses 7 sensors to detect the brains electrical activity which it then transforms into understandable experiences so the user can wind down and meditate if im not calm i will hear sounds of a storm which will remind me to concentrate on my breathing if im feeling calm i will heal some right. I can hear some very light rain and some wind. And from time to time theres an earth chirping that indicates that im really relaxed for a while over. What im talking or when its getting heavier in the end there is a real truth so i think a better concentrated. I would say that new trick is going to help people to go about their everyday life in a more mindful way but it is important to not relinquish full control and to not take them and the exercises they prescribe too seriously i doubt that such gadgets can really have uses with serious Mental Health issues for now people can still decide themselves whether they want to use these quantified self apps and he vices but what if they didnt have a choice what if their employers ordered them to use a move tracker. Lots of work multitasking and difficult exercises this is daily life at tiny a startup based in munich the founders vision of the future is one where employees only receive as much work as they can actually carry out the idea is that software should a lot there were loads on of magically so that the software can do this always have to wear a device that measures the polls all the time and theres a camera that films their faces the idea is to measure the stress levels and emotional states and then the workload can be calculated. It is one of the developers he says hes not. Interested in surveillance or storing data well it. Is a tutor this can be described as the perfect state between the feeling of being under challenge billboard and the opposite which is being stressed and swamped that place in between when someone is challenged can cope with the task in hand and use flight flow. But do we really want a world in which software can get such a deep insight into an employees emotional state the slow select from the German Research center for Artificial Intelligence things not. When the. Dont want a situation in which such Software Leads to the surveillance of employees. With the result that someone might be fired if they dont perform adequately or if theyre going through a rough patch personally and the system detects with subsequent negative consequences this has to be prevented. At this munich startup employees have to actively agree to be tracked but will this always be the case these systems force people to share intimate information how is the data used and by whom. Of course apps must collect data to quantify progress for example in Health RelatedResearch Apple has collaborated with academics and published a variety of studies based on Data Collected by volunteers and their smart watches it might sound like a win win situation but im not so sure about giving that bunch of personal information to a private company. Health out as truckers cannot dado when users are sleeping eating and exercising but they also gather other information for example regarding location users often have no idea what is done with their data benedict is a lawyer who says the terms of use are frequently laded in a very vague way. The moment Many Companies are just connecting information and dont even know what they want to do with it but sooner or later there will be some kind of commercial use for the data right now data is already being sold for targeted advertising that certain groups and individuals and Health Insurance companies are also very interested in such data some of them are already offering cheaper rates to policyholders who agree to track their own Health Related data the system for this is great for those who are healthy its not so great for those who are not in the end it leads to people being selected according to their risks. Users should think very carefully about the amount of personal information theyre willing to divulge to some shops Data Protection is obviously a big issue but. Even do what they say they will there are all kinds of new fitness apps and gadgets flooding the market theyre supposed to encourage us to exercise more without a trainer but do they really work. There is a wealth of research into the question of whether it makes a difference if a person uses an app and tracks their activity or not and so far what its shown is that it makes a huge difference to peoples motivation many are more likely to commit themselves to their health and stick to it if they track their activity and see visible progress but it is not yet been proven that this actually makes an impact on health and whether users really do more exercise we just dont know that yet. Lets listen in. Addition some fitness apps can actually increase the risk of physical damage Artificial Intelligence and instructions in years can help people tailor physical activity to their own needs so that people are more likely to hurt themselves if they do the exercises wrongly and cant ask real life instructor for advice. If a user wants to do something right there is a lot of work involved a good trainer will have a certain experience. So training is made of flesh and blood still have an Important Role to play. And that doesnt just go for fitness apps even small devices can have huge drawbacks a friend of mine wanted to track all the stages obviously to optimize a sleeping pattern but he got so stressed out by the whole process that in the end he couldnt sleep at all and that might be helpful for some but not for others its very important to find the one thats right for you this is what the expert says. Just an individual or person is unique and not even the best dabs can map all the highly individualized elements that make a person and help them to develop an app make suggestions based on the aggregated data so it can never be tailored precisely to just one individual basically no user should ever follow is just blindly but always ask whether it really makes sense for them personally. However for a person in crisis any kind of support is better than none at all so even if it would make more sense to talk to a professional and out with at least give an indication of the direction somebody wants to move in and how they might want to develop so i would say use the apps but make sure you always question their advice. About. Hard. What about you have you used fitness apps and have they helped you reach your goals that was not on social media on d w dot com if you want to find out more about these gadgets check out our you tube channel but for now and. The corona virus is traveling many african families. Many more lie on Financial Support from relatives who live overseas during me before i do our job. But in many countries because of the lockdown those funds have dried up i was able to improve that. Is fun to me because i said the 77 percent. Next on. One of the most durable spacecraft ever turns 30 people space telescope. Broadening our risings for decades. And supplying us with marvelous images of deep space. Its a Vital Research instrument that serves as our window on the universe. In 60 minutes. Bloodlines yes it is on its way to bring you more conservation. How do we make see the screen or how can we protect habitats we can make a difference global ideas fundamental series in global 3000. 00 on g. W. And online. Oh and a welcome to the feminist 7 per cent show for africa on lets go and have a. Cited to be hosting the 77 percent for the 1st time. Its so great to have you with us this is what we have for you on todays show. Making enough money to spend its hold in coronas times thats a real struggle for Young Africans in germany. We check out a new fashion trend in kenya that corona has