An Israeli man depressed people everywhere on Tuesday when he tweeted his Fitbit data while he was going through a breakup.
In undoubtedly the most depressing use of "quantified-self" technology ever, 28-year-old Koby Soto looked at his heart-rate data at the precise moment he and his boyfriend split up.
The Israeli entrepreneur noted that Fitbit interpreted his increased heart rate as exercise:
@DorinManoli actually fitbit thought I was working out. Look at this pic.twitter.com/giwcw762KK
The poor guy's heart rate went from an average resting rate of 72 beats per minute (BPM) to nearly 120 BPM while breaking up.
Of course, anyone who's split from a significant other knows how brutal breakups are, but Soto's Fitbit data is a snapshot of the physical distress they can cause.
Breakups can trigger broken heart syndrome, with symptoms including intense chest pain brought on by a rush of stress hormones, according to the American Heart Association. Sometimes, broken heart syndrome is severe enough to be misdiagnosed as a heart attack, and can cause short-term damage to the heart's muscles, the association said.
Further, a 2010 study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology about the physical and emotional effects of romantic rejection said post-breakup grief affects the brain much like a cocaine craving.
Scientific evidence aside, the only confirmation you really need that breakups blow is your BFF’s journal after getting dumped.
