Should kids wear fitness trackers?

What you need to know about activity tracking for kids 

Fitness trackers have been around for years, but relatively recently models for children have come out with a convenient design and a simpler set of functions.

Garmin was one of the first big tech names to launch the Vivofit Jr for kids in 2016. Since then, the Vivofit Jr has also been released. 2 , and Fitbit followed suit with the Fitbit Ace in 2018 and the Fitbit Ace 2 in May 2019.

These are perhaps the two most recognizable names in kids' smartwatches , but they're not the only ones on offer. Other popular brands are Kurio, Leapfrog Leapband and Vtech Kidizoom, Lemfo, HQWear and many more.

The features these wearables offer vary. Some are focused solely on the activity of the child, others are true smartwatches with a number of functions, and still others have the main purpose of just monitoring and sharing your child's location with you.

They used to be considered quite niche, but since Fitbit launched its Ace series, these devices have become increasingly popular.

But why does your child need a fitness tracker?

Physical inactivity is a growing public health problem among children and teenagers worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), insufficient physical activity is one of the leading risk factors for increased mortality worldwide. Statistics show that more than 81% of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 were not physically active enough.

In addition , the WHO reports that the number of overweight and obese infants and young children (aged 0 to 5 years) increased from 32 million globally in 1990 to 41 million in 2016.

Clearly there is a problem with inactivity and obesity, but can a fitness tracker solve it?

It's hard to say. There aren't enough large-scale studies yet on the efficacy of fitness trackers among children, but early-stage research suggests they can have a positive effect. .

We asked experts if activity trackers for kids are a good idea and what parents should know before buying one.

Why fitness trackers for kids are a good idea

Studies show that tracking activity using a smart watch or bracelet has the potential to help some people change their behavior.

"Fitness trackers can help kids become more aware of their own activity level (or lack thereof)," says Joshua Kozak, CEO of HASfit and CEO of Wellthon . "Gentle reminders to be more active, get up regularly and go outside to play can help children form positive habits that will last into adulthood."

We spoke to Nikola, whose son Luca uses a Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2 and found that it motivated him to move more.

"He especially likes it when he 'earns' a new Marvel badge or completes a mission," she says. "He starts jogging in place or running up and down stairs when he sees he's getting closer to his steps/active minutes goal."

Dr Lauren Sherrard, a specialist in children's physical activity and health at Loughborough University, explains that the preliminary data is positive. "Activity monitors may have the potential to increase children's activity levels in the short term through self-monitoring and goal setting, two effective behavior change techniques."

But she cautions that there is currently a lack of data on long-term effectiveness.

The tracking issues

Some believe that encouraging children to look at health and activity statistics every day may increase the obsessive focus on image and body weight in the long term.

"Just as with food, overcontrolling parents can create negative associations in children, leading to children regaining control as adults," says Kozak. "If a child learns to directly associate exercise with being yelled at, disappointing his parents, or being buttoned up, it doesn't take a trained psychologist to understand how he might view exercise as an adult."

The age group that many activity trackers are aimed at is important for building identity and positive body image. That's why parents need to understand the possible effects of activity tracking—as well as the steps they can take to build positive associations.

Activity tracking can also create a negative relationship with health and fitness if not managed properly. This means that children can lose motivation to move and play – especially if they start to see it as boring.

"The biggest downside would be the potential risk of taking the fun out of a child's play," says Dr. Sherard, "Care must be taken that the use of the device is not perceived as negative by the child (i.e. I must not feel observed, controlled, judged, measured in a negative way).'

"Care must be taken to avoid promoting a narrow view of what physical activity is beneficial," says Dr Dale Esliger, who specializes in wearable technology for behavior change at Loughborough University. "Climbing a tree may not increase your step count, but it's a great healthy physical activity."

What can parents do to make activity tracking a positive thing?

None of these potential problems mean parents shouldn't buy fitness trackers for their kids. Instead, they can do a lot to address them – and help build a beneficial and lasting relationship with health and exercise in the long term.

Decker explains that communication is important. "Kids want to emulate the behavior of adults, so often when a parent asks about a wearable or even wears one, kids are likely to continue to be interested and look at the data, improve, and even compete with their parents," she says.

Many parents now have their own tracker, which turns fitness into a family goal rather than just an individual one. "Family challenges can be an excellent way to increase ongoing engagement while improving physical activity for the whole family," says Dr. Esliger.

Although there are many things parents can do, the responsibility should not rest solely on them. Technology companies can facilitate positive associations with health and fitness by continuing to create products that put children's well-being first.

As smartwatches and wearables for kids become more popular, any company venturing into the space needs to be aware of what's best for young people.

Source: https://www.techradar.com/news/should-children-wear-fitness-trackers