by Dan Moren
Apple’s Fitness streaks need more humanity
Craig Grannell at Stuff argues that Apple’s approach to Fitness streaks ultimately does us a disservice:
The problem is the thin line between encouragement and assuming everyone is a robot. At best, Apple’s exercise system wants you to maintain a strict 100% record, forever. And it periodically nags you if you’re not improving your stats. Ran a marathon the previous day? “Your rings are usually further along by now, you slovenly disappointment!” 97% full of snot due to flu? “Get up, lazybones! Or I will hurl your streak into the sun!”
I am one thousand percent in agreement with Craig on this front. Many, including myself, have argued that Apple ought to come up with a system that’s more lenient: rest days, streak recovery1, streak pausing, whatever.
Ultimately, these systems are here to help encourage us to be better, which is great. But as Craig points out, that can backfire when a streak is broken, especially due to circumstances out of our control.2