The health tracker backlash is here, so ditch the data and set yourself free

A rebellion is rising against the dull, highly optimised lives big tech wants for us. It’s not a second too soon

Steven Bartlett slept less, ate poorly and skipped the gym by drinking after a year of sobriety. File photo: PA

Has the optimisation rebellion begun? Something seemed to shift in the collective psyche recently when the world discovered the entrepreneur and podcaster Steven Bartlett’s reaction to having had “a couple of glasses of wine” on a school night.

Speaking with Chris Williamson (the Love Island alumnus turned “wisdom” podcaster, God help us), Bartlett had explained what happened when he decided to test the effects of drinking after a year of sobriety — a sombre catalogue of catastrophes recorded by his Whoop tracker (“#ad, #sponsor”).