The stranger had apparently found the daughter’s email on the app. In January 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported about a mother whose 12-year-old daughter received a Fitbit friend request from a stranger with a profile picture of a partially nude woman. DMing can lead to more personal forms of communication, including texts and jumps to other social media platforms like Snapchat or Instagram. The open community format, when combined with the app’s DM feature, means that children can be tricked into starting friendships with strangers. This holds true even for an app as seemingly harmless as Fitbit. We’ve mentioned before that any time there’s a chat or messaging feature in an app, there’s the potential for online predation. These groups pose similar dangers that any group chat would - things like inappropriate content, bullying, drug/alcohol use, and more. App-Related Dangers Parents Need to Know About Inappropriate contentĪmong the 40 or so public groups that anyone can join in the Fitbit community are several potentially inappropriate ones for kids - including “Trying to Conceive” and “Birth Control.” Users can also join an unlimited number of closed groups, which are private groups that require an invitation. You can add friends by inputting their email address, or by visiting someone’s profile and tapping “Add friend.” There’s also a direct messaging (DM) feature that allows users to connect privately. Users can join nearly 40 different open community groups, each consisting of thousands of members from all over. This functionality is what most people think of when they think of a traditional fitness tracker.īut did you know that the Fitbit app is also technically a social media app, too? Front and center at the bottom of the app’s home screen is a shortcut to “Community.” When you tap it, you’re taken to a screen very similar to Facebook’s feed, where you can see updates from friends and contacts (if you’ve added any). Every time you open the app, it syncs with your Fitbit, presenting you with all of your updated information. It’s how you see all of your data, from step counts and miles walked to sleep quality and food logging. The Fitbit app is the hub for Fitbit devices. There’s More to Fitbit Than Just Step Counts In this post, we’ll explain some of the hidden dangers of kids Fitbits. And they can be - but it’s important to consider some risks that activity trackers pose. Encouraging your child to move their body and be active is generally a good thing! It’s only natural to assume that Fitbits, wildly popular with adults looking to become more active, could be a beneficial form of self-care for kids. Thinking about getting your child a Fitbit? Have you asked yourself "Are Fitbits safe?" There are tons of models to choose from - from the brand-new, top-of-the-line smartwatches to your old hand-me-down from a few years ago. Content warning: This article discusses eating disorders and contains language that may be triggering to some readers.
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