How Fitbit turns teens off exercise

 Fitbit exercise trackers discourage teenagers from exercising rather than encouraging them because they think targets are “unfair”, a study suggests.

Researchers at Brunel University London discovered that wearing a Fitbit for two months left teenagers demotivated about physical activity rather than encouraging them to do more. The study tracked 84 students aged 13 to 14, who wore one of the trackers for eight weeks.

It found the novelty wore off after a few weeks and pupils’ movement levels declined. Part of the problem was that Fitbit targets were unrealistic, with the 10,000 steps-aday goal described as “unfair”.

“They strived to achieve it but would often fall short,” said researcher Dr Charlotte Kerner. “That made them feel really bad about themselves and put them off exercise.”

Teenagers become discouraged by the goals set by wearing a Fitbit device that monitors the number of steps they take each day, so researchers have found. Failing to reach a target of 10,000 steps a day, the youngsters let their level of activity decline after two months. It would be too easy to mock this response as another example of the snowflake generation being unprepared to put up with any personal hardship to attain a difficult objective. But why should they comply with what seems like another test? From Sats to A-levels, young people spend their whole lives being tested. A birthday present of a fitness monitor is the last thing they want. It would be better if teenagers found a voluntary interest in competitive sport or outdoor pursuits. Then their activity levels would zoom up without a step being counted.