Do Smart Wearables Actually Change Your Health?
Based on the data presented in this article, the impact of smart wearable devices on people’s physical activity is quite limited. Time spent on smartphone screens has nearly doubled, while time dedicated to exercise has actually decreased.
After all, looking at annual averages, daily step counts are declining across all age groups: children average about 800 fewer steps, teenagers around 1,500 fewer, and adults roughly 600 fewer. (This suggests that unless adults are required to leave home for supervised work, they tend to stay indoors playing on their phones just like kids do.)
In other words, buying fitness trackers won’t necessarily increase exercise time or effectiveness—the key factor remains individual motivation. (Another high-tech gadget destined to gather dust.)