Problem:
Update on this statement. Could you check if there is more work about the topic after 2019? A good way to look is to see who cited the meta-analysis study and Stiglbauer et al (2019) study, as if people publish after that, they will have to cite the most relevant work before them.
In the time since Hermsen et al's (2015) meta-analysis*, Etkin (2016) conducted a series of small, well-controlled studies showing that tracking simple behaviors such as reading or walking can increase how much people engage in these activities. Stiglbauer and colleagues (2019) conducted a pre-registered experimental study in which participants were randomly assigned to wear a digital wristband that tracked their steps and heart rate for two weeks. Compared to those in a wait-list control group, participants in the self-tracking condition showed a significant increase in perceived physical health. However, the authors did not find significant effects on any other variables they measured, perhaps because the study only included 40 participants per condition. Thus, to the best of our knowledge, there are no pre-registered studies showing that digital tracking alters individuals' behavior in beneficial ways. The dearth of well-powered, experimental research in this area is striking given the rapid rise of the self-tracking industry.