"Why do I continue to use an app daily, if I don’t need it:" Living with A Gamified Self-Care App through Seasonal Depression

Paper in proceeding, 2026

Self-care apps have grown increasingly popular, yet sustained long-term engagement remains a challenge. Gamification has been proposed as a solution, but longitudinal studies examining its effects, including potential harms, remain scarce. This study investigates the long-term experience with a gamified self-care app during a period of seasonal depression by conducting a 9-month autoethnographic study. Diary entries, artifact analysis, and retrospective reflections were collected and analyzed using reflective thematic analysis, producing four themes: Improved Self-Care Practices and Well-being, Emotional Connection, Social Interaction, and Addiction to Gamified Features. The study makes two contributions: it offers novel longitudinal insights into the lived experiences of gamified self-care apps with virtual pets, surfacing the transition from initial meaningful self-care support to later reward-driven engagement and technology addiction; and it demonstrates the value of autoethnography for studying long-term engagement with gamified technologies and uncovering their unintended consequences.