You'll have to pry my Garmin from my cold dead fingers.
I like data, I don't give hoot about sharing it. I use Strava, I have maybe 6 followers, none of which probably care or even understand any of the data. I usually have some target metrics for rides. I plan my routes, and I usually have a goal concerning effort based on power. But sometimes, I just ride the route and pay little attention to the power.
I also like the data as while riding I like to do math calculations in my head. Estimating when I will get somewhere, how long it will be to when I get back to where I am now on an out-and-back. That type of thing. That doesn't mean I never notice my surroundings, though of course sometimes I don't.
I'm definitely not obsessed with the numbers, though I do like to see the miles add up as the year progresses.
But I get where the article the OP linked is coming from. If you're tracking data with a big goal to share it with others as some form of validation, then that doesn't sound healthy to me. Sure share race results or other event results, but not everyday rides.