The age of technology yields the ability to track anything. Fitbit watches, which debuted on the market in 2008, have skyrocketed in sales; revenues at the end of 2015 totaled to just under $750 million, according to Fitbit financial data. Fitbits include features such as calorie trackers, step trackers, sleep cycle trackers, alarms and water resistance.
“Wearing a Fitbit encourages me to try to meet take more steps if I’m close to my step goal,” junior Inga Schlier said. “I think if anything they are better for people because they become aware of their habits.”
Although Fitbits can be helpful for those who want to be aware of how active they are, like any form of exercise, for some it might be harder to keep up the habit of wearing and checking their Fitbits.
“I don’t really do a lot of scheduled exercise, and I thought getting a fitness thing would motivate me. I guess it sort of did for a while, but something happened one day and I just forgot to put it back on, and that was that,” senior Madison Bischof said.
Almost 20 million Fitbit watches have been sold across the globe, however only just over 9 million of those watches actually have active users that track their steps, sleep, and calories, according to data from the Fitbit company as of the end of 2015.
“It helps me keep track of my goals because I usually think I get enough exercise, but the Fitbit helps me see that I need way more exercise to achieve my health goals,” senior Ash Lee Manley said.
Fitbits have also garnered criticism for their expensive pricing.
“I’m an athlete, but I still don’t see the point. Fitbits are so expensive and my phone does pretty much everything it does,” sophomore Nicole Schmidt said.
Despite the drawbacks of the cost of Fitbits, general reviews from websites like Amazon and other places where Fitbits can be purchased online have been mostly positive. towards the device.
“I would recommend Fitbits to everyone. It’s a great way to track your fitness and it allows you to compete with friends and family to see who takes the most steps,” freshman Izzie Moutinho said. “If anyone is looking for a great fitness band I would recommend the Fitbit because it’s so easy and interactive to use though the app.”