How can physical activity be enhanced through digital rewards? : An experiment where number of steps is rewarded with social media screen time

Abstract: Today nearly 9 in 10 internet users use social media each month. Most people enjoy social media and have a beneficiary relationship with the different platforms giving them opportunities to stay connected with family and friends. However, some people have a problematic relationship and can suffer consequences like anxiety, jealousy, depression and/or fear of missing out. As social media use has increased in in past twenty years, people have, during a longer period, become more and more sedentary. Digitalization is one of the reasons to why man has become less active. Television, computers, tablets and smartphones have content designed to make us spend as much time in front of them as possible. Physical activity during the day is important to maintain good health and counteract various types of wellbeing. A sedentary lifestyle can make people feel unhappy, anxious, stressed and in worst case lead to different types of life-threatening conditions. The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to identify how physical activity can be enhanced through digital rewards, from the perspective of people striving for a healthier lifestyle. An experiment was conducted to be able to answer the thesis research questions. The experiment consisted of a one-week test where participants got to take steps for social media screen time. Data and information were collected from the participants before the test week and after through surveys. The self-reported data and information from the surveys were after that analyzed and discussed. The result of the experiment cannot be considered valid due to the low number of participants. However, the results from the ones participating showed an increase in step count in almost all participants and a decrease in time spent on social media. The conclusion of the study indicates that social media screen time can be used as a digital reward to motivate physical activity. In addition, most participants reported being more aware of both social media screen time and their physical activity after the experiment.