Fit bits for kids how to#

The research team noticed a short-term novelty effect where some participants were more active for the first few weeks, but it was consistently reported that after a month, pupils became bored of the FitBit. In some cases, it induced a sense of guilt and other negative feelings of self.Ĭompetition was an external pressure to engage in physical activity rather than an internal motivator, and while the desire to get to the top of the leaderboard encouraged some participants to be more active, most of the pupils did not report engaging in activity ‘for fun’ during the 8-week period. The FitBit ‘community’ often helped encourage pupils to engage with discussions about physical activity and develop common understandings and behaviours, but the competitive element also led to peer-pressure to achieve goals. The FitBit app is designed with features to encourage competition and interaction among peers, and while pupils reported that they set up competitions in their friendship groups, the end result did not always have positive implications.

Fit bits for kids how to#

Surveys and focus groups conducted before and after the trial period concluded that the device (in this case, the FitBit Charge wristband and app, which retails for around £100) ultimately made participants feel less confident about their competence at exercising, less connected to their peers, and less like they had autonomy or choice over how to engage with physical activity.

Their research with school pupils aged 13-14 showed that wearing a FitBit for eight weeks demotivated the teenagers from exercising rather than encouraging them to do more. Finding new ways to motivate young people is vital for long-term health, and - for a generation tethered to their mobiles - fitness devices seemed to be a new and exciting way to help.Ī new study by Dr Charlotte Kerner (Brunel University London) and Dr Victoria Goodyear (University of Birmingham) found that the opposite could be true. Over decades, physical activity interventions targeted at young people in schools have only produced modest effects. Wearable activity trackers could be doing more harm than good in encouraging young teenagers to exercise, new research from Brunel University London suggests.ĭemand for FitBits soared among 11-15 year-olds last year, and The Times referred to the gadget as the ‘latest status symbol’ for kids.