Our Tech Wearables Are Turning Into Modern Mood Rings

Remember the 1990s when mood rings were having a moment? Well, what’s old is new again, except with a high-tech twist: Instead of color-changing stones to indicate shifting emotions, today’s “modern mood rings” use physiological data to flag moments of stress, excitement, despair, and more.

You might even be wearing one right now: They may be literal rings, like the upcoming Happy Ring, watches like the Fitbit Sense 2 or Upmood, or wristbands like Feel. Their goal isn’t just to get you moving, like most wearables people have become familiar with, but to integrate emotional assessment and stress management into daily life. While those insights can help users be more aware of their mental health, experts warn they’re no panacea—even if some brands might attempt to sway you otherwise.

“Psychologists have been using this type of biofeedback since at least the 1950s,” psychophysiologist Nicole Prause told The Daily Beast. “The technology in many ways hasn’t changed, but the ability to send signals, record signals, and display those signals in pretty ways has gotten much better.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.