This post was updated Feb. 13 at 10:04 p.m.

User data is everywhere – exercise analytics on Strava, food reviews on Beli, curated playlists on Spotify and movie ratings on Letterboxd.

A growing number of platforms are helping users track and quantify their daily experiences. From the first fitness step counter released in 1965, user analytics platforms have grown to track music, restaurant, book and even movie consumption today. Though they allow for personal and social benefits, these platforms also come with drawbacks.

Anya Cheng, a product management lecturer at Northwestern University, said the prevalence of user analytics available on apps reflects a broader shift in how companies handle users’ personal data. She added that while companies used to collect data quietly behind the scenes, they now transform it into features users actively engage with and share.

Nakul Joshi, a second-year computer science student, said these features can reveal unexpected insights about personal habits.

“I view it as a sort of fun recap,” Joshi said. “Sometimes there’ll be a song in my top five that I didn’t even realize I liked and streamed as much.”

Each platform has a unique way of presenting personal analytics to its users. For example, Spotify’s “Wrapped” feature summarizes users’ listening habits and preferences at the end of each year. This feature reached 156 million users in 2022, according to Time magazine.

Triumph Kerins, a product marketer at Treecard, said Spotify’s initiative transforming data into an engaging, personalized narrative is effective because it positively affirms its users by reinforcing and showcasing users’ preferences and actions.

Similarly, Goodreads presents readers with their total page count and rating habits in a feature called “Year in Books,” while Letterboxd generates detailed reports of users’ movie-watching patterns and preferences. HBO Max has also taken inspiration from these platforms by assigning viewers characters from movies and TV shows based on their watching patterns in their “Max Rewind,” which launched in 2024, according to Variety.

As these platforms make user data more interactive and shareable, data privacy has become a rising concern, with a 2019 Pew Research Survey reporting 79% of adults were concerned about how companies use their data.

Cybersecurity company Surfshark found 80% of fitness apps share data with advertisers and other third-parties. Particularly, the study found that Strava and Fitbit collected 21 types of data such as ethnic background and sexual orientation, nearly double the average data collection for fitness apps. Third-party data collection increases security risks, as consumers have little control over how their sensitive personal information is used by companies, according to the United States Government Accountability Office.

Despite concerns about data collection, users have been increasingly drawn to highly personalized products and services such as tracking apps, according to Deloitte. For example, Strava users can compete in group challenges, earn achievement trophies and share maps of their activities. Meanwhile, Beli users can access personalized “taste profiles” created based on their restaurant reviews and receive curated dining recommendations that match their preferences.

Additionally, social features allow users to share and compare with friends. For example, Karl Wang, a second-year economics and statistics student, said he uses Beli to track his dining experiences and discover new restaurants through friends’ recommendations.

P. David Marshall, a communications and cultural studies professor at Deakin University, said the rise of personal analytics reflects identity creation in the age of social media, in which many people have access to an unprecedented number of people’s curated lives.

“Certain people do see it as advertising and promotion,” Marshall said. “Other people see it as, ‘I’m just doing that because it is a version of myself. It’s how I construct my identity.'”

This personalization can help forge social connections. For example, Kerins said user analytics can prompt group interactions and create bonds in online communities.

“Because everyone’s doing it, it feels like a cultural event, and it feels like something that everyone’s experiencing,” Kerins said.

As digital devices and platforms become more popular, they also have the potential to influence user behavior in real life. A study published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports found that competition within online social networks is a strong motivator for physical activity, suggesting that apps like Strava may encourage consistent exercise routines.

However, this influence, combined with the gamification of these platforms, can sometimes override authentic interests. On Beli, for example, Wang said the ranking system and “weekly streak” feature – which requires users to log a new restaurant every week – can turn dining choices into a numbers game rather than a reflection of personal cravings.

“The existence of the weekly streak has gotten to me,” Wang said. “I have a fear of losing my 40-week streak.”

For some, there may be pressure to curate an appealing online identity through these platforms, whether to showcase sophisticated music taste on Spotify Wrapped or appear well-traveled through restaurant check-ins on Beli. Joshi said he has noticed how these platforms can transform simple enjoyment into status signaling.

“It gets a bit past just enjoying music and gets into territory of, ‘I need to show everyone that I’m actually the top 1% or top 0.1% fan of this artist,’” Joshi said. “It becomes an identity thing really quickly, where you signal to a group of people that, ‘Hey, I’m part of this group of niche listeners.'”

He added that he found it helpful to set boundaries and reflect on what genuinely enhances his experience to combat the negative effects of these platforms.

As an increasing number of users engage in social tracking experiences, and new apps emerge to serve that interest each year, Cheng said only those that provide meaningful value are likely to stay.

“So end of day, the data will only be useful and only will continue … if people find it useful and bring value back to the company,” Cheng said.