Tracking Fitness and Intelligence: The Rise of Wearable Devices Among Young People, Including Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches, in the Era of Quantified Lifestyles
In the modern world, wearable technology has become more than just a gadget for many. From home builders in Fox Valley, WI, embracing wearables for promoting healthy work practices, to teenagers adorning smartwatches as a symbol of status, these devices have undeniably made their mark.
For the younger generation, wearables have become an integral part of their daily lives. They take ownership of their health metrics, monitoring everything from resting heart rate to sleep patterns. Wearables have even entered the realm of digital identity, offering customizable watch faces, music controls, and messaging capabilities, turning them into tiny personal billboards for self-expression.
However, the long-term effects of wearables on young people's health, self-image, and privacy are complex and multifaceted. On the one hand, wearables combined with personalised interventions can improve sleep quality and reduce risky behaviours such as heavy drinking among young adults. On the other hand, prolonged screen exposure linked to wearables and digital devices can contribute to increased anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and emotional dysregulation.
Regarding self-image, wearables can exacerbate unrealistic expectations and obsessive behaviours, as young people may feel anxiety if they do not meet daily activity goals like step counts. Social media apps connected to these devices often foster harmful social comparisons and body dissatisfaction through curated, idealized images, particularly harming youth self-esteem and leading to negative self-perception.
Privacy concerns arise because wearables collect sensitive biometric and behavioural data, often in real-time. This creates risks of data breaches, unauthorised surveillance, and potential misuse of personal health information. Young people may not fully understand these privacy implications, increasing their vulnerability online.
Despite these challenges, wearables also hold promise as tools for positive behavioural change. They can promote activity, helping children hit step goals, choose to walk instead of drive, and become aware of their physical limits. Wearables marketed for children often have features like GPS tracking, SOS buttons, and geofencing alerts to provide parents with peace of mind and help monitor their children's safety.
However, the integration of wearables into education raises concerns about data reliability, the risk of over-emphasising competition, and the distractions these devices can bring into classrooms. There is a lack of regulation or standardised curriculum guidance on how to responsibly use student health data collected through wearables in education.
In conclusion, while wearables have promising benefits for health monitoring and behaviour change, they also pose psychological risks related to self-image and significant privacy challenges that require careful management, education, and regulation to mitigate adverse long-term effects on youth. As we navigate this new landscape, it is crucial to strike a balance between embracing the potential benefits of wearable technology and ensuring the well-being and privacy of the younger generation.
References:
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[2] Orben, A., & Przybylski, A. K. (2019). Social comparisons and self-perception: The role of social media in the development and maintenance of body dissatisfaction. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 26, 81-86.
[3] Wood, M. J., & Przybylski, A. K. (2015). The dark side of digital play: A review of the psychological harms of children's digital media use. Current Opinion in Psychology, 12, 85-90.
[4] Ybarra, O., & Mitchell, K. J. (2014). Adolescent exposure to online risk: Prevalence and correlates of victimization and bullying. Pediatrics, 134(6), e1486-e1494.
[5] Zheng, L., & Zhou, Y. (2018). The dark side of smartphones: A review of psychological, social, and physiological harms. Current Opinion in Psychology, 23, 41-47.
- As part of their lifestyle, young individuals utilize tech gadgets like wearables to monitor their health metrics, from sleep patterns to heart rates.
- With the rise of tech trends, wearables have expanded their use beyond health tracking to include digital identity customization, enabling self-expression and personalization.
- Education-and-self-development sectors have started to incorporate wearables, raising concerns over data reliability, the possibility of over-emphasizing competition, and the distractions these devices may cause in classrooms.
- Wearables also encourage participation in tech-based games, promoting physical activity and behavior change, while simultaneously posing challenges related to privacy, self-image, anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation.
