To be horrified that fit bits for kids are considered normal?

[gobbyone]

I find the whole idea of having my body voluntarily monitored and having the data fed into an app owned by God knows who, a bit bizarre anyway. But each to their own. Doctors instructions aside, obviously.

But for children? Why? Isn't this going to feed into mental health problems?

Genuinely horrified.

I know they don't record weight, but excessive and very repetitive (like steps) exercising can be a part of anorexia
CAN is the word. In most cases it will be positive. If a child start to show an obsession with it and alter their eating habits, that's when you take it away.

There are usually emotional issues associated with eating disorders. It's up to us parents to access the risk factors. In the vast majority of cases, there will be none.

People use a Fitbit in addition to their weight loss regime. Its sole purpose is to track activity, which everyone needs, and does not affect how children see their weight unless that what you're putting in their heads.

A toothbrush can be used to scrub the toilet rim, yet it main purpose is to brush teeth. But you dont banish the idea of children brushing their teeth with something youd clean a toilet with do you? Because that's an additional purpose that one might use one for aswell as (separately I hope) for its main purpose.

My DS 10 has one, he loves the competition between him and his friends about who has done the most steps, for them its a watch with an added bit of fun.

I'm surprised at how many parents of younger children say they have them.
I have an 8 and 7 year old they certainly don't need the encouragement to run around. None of their friends seem to have them thank goodness, it would be another bit of tech for me to say no to.

I also suffered from severe Anorexia which I developed at the age of 11 and it took me 18 years to make a full recovery. So I understand where you’re coming from OP, and once would have shared your view.

I work in children’s mental health now though and my view has changed. Lots of the children and young people I work with have Fitbits. I’ve worked with upwards of 9000 children so a fairly large sample size all across my county. Most children see them as fun.

Children who are likely to develop an eating disorder may become obsessive about step counting, but it’s unlikely a Fitbit alone would trigger an eating disorder.

Many of the other young women I was in hospitals with owned pedometers, but these were acquired long after the eating disorders set in. They were not the cause.

Disordered thinking and behaviour around food is usually deeply entrenched in a complex combination of factors including past experiences, relationships, personality, self-esteem and biology.

A Fitbit might help someone with an eating disorder maintain a low weight and I wouldn’t recommend them for a young person in treatment. However, of all the young Fitbit owners I’ve worked with none have ever given me cause for concern regarding their use of the device, and that’s something I’m vigilant about.

@PoppingOneOutIn2020

"I bet you're not crying over iPads at the dinner table or phones at 10 years old though, are you op"

I think they're shit though, special or additional needs aside. Tech is banned at the dinner table and in bedrooms here.

I do wonder what happens to these kids if it breaks? Do they just sit on their bums?

Interesting to hear of schools banning them- nice to see there are some teachers at least who haven't been sucked in by bollox marketing.

Mine are 10 and 8 and have them but we are a sporty family, triathlons, rugby etc. The dc are involved in their own clubs and the watch is just a bit of kit, part of being interested in their training and fitness which I positively encourage. Definitely no eating disorders here, you calorie count for the opposite reasons when you’re training for ultra marathons.

Great comment ThatsNotHealthy, thoughtful and insightful. Thanks for sharing.

@gobbyone

”Interesting to hear of schools banning them- nice to see there are some teachers at least who haven't been sucked in by bollox marketing.”

Regular physical activity is good for mental health. That’s a fact, not marketing. People who are being treated for depression are usually encouraged to increase their physical activity for this very reason.

There’s plenty of reliable research to back this up.

www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1808

Thanks @JemimaPuddlePeacock

I own a fitbit and it's amazing to easily be able to track your progress. I am not overweight at all but it does help me keep in track.

I am more worried of McDonalds, Instagram and FB

I think I see what you mean OP, as in it encourages kids to think about being active in the wrong way.

A kind of souless, tick box way of living rather than playing games and sports and being little balls of energy.

Maybe we're just so inactive as a society that this kind of thing is the only way to go.

They sound like a great idea to me. Ideally children should already be physically active, but if some of them need encouragement, then why not?

I was anorexic in my teens way before fitbits were a thing. I did a set amount of exercise everyday and obsessed about counting calories (i think it improved my mental arithmetic- constantly estimating the weight of food and calculating calories!) I'm still good at working things out quickly in my head. Point is, i nearly died from an eating disorder without a fitbit so i think if you're predispositioned to an eating disorder it will happen with or withput gadgetry.

My partner's goddaughter has one. She's not a fan of team sports so as she enters tween years her activity levels were decreasing and parents were a little concerned about her health. Whilst she hates team sports she is competitive about beating her dad at anything, she'd been asking for a smart watch like her parents anyway so now she has a kids Fitbit and she runs laps of the garden and up and down the stairs to beat him.

She can only see things like her steps and active minutes so I don't see a downside.

I'm a YANBU, OP.
I totally get where you are coming from. I think it's ludicrous that these sorts of things are marketed at kids.
Yes in some sense to them it's a toy/game but they're not thick, they know why adults have them and it is linked to weight loss and hence image so feeds into a dangerous mindset.
But I am old and draconian so 🤷‍♀️.

I like the idea for DS2 but surely i can't send an 8 year old to school with a £50 watch???

I suspect the school would prefer I didn't too.

They are a way of keeping tabs on children. Very black mirror.

This is why I don't like them, although I think OP has a point as well.

Family I know with two kids who have them. Kids are extremely active, one a skinny healthy weight, the other underweight. The parent still feels the need to monitor activity and sleep. I don't think the kids care particularly but I don't think it's a healthy parenting attitude to have your children's every move sent to your phone.