Smartwatch activity trackers for young children: What do parents think?

Smartwatch activity trackers measure physical activity and incorporate features that aim to encourage physically active behaviours. For instance, users can set daily physical activity goals and receive notifications about their progress. These devices have shown promise for increasing physical activity levels in school-aged children, adolescents, and adults but it is unknown if they can also successfully encourage increased activity in preschoolers. With the increase in commercially available smartwatch activity trackers designed for use by preschool-aged children, we decided to explore the perspective of parents on preschoolers (aged 3 – 5 years) using these devices. We interviewed 22 parents and asked them for their views on the feasibility of young children using these devices, possible advantages and disadvantages of use, and potential roles for these devices in families with young children.

Could preschoolers wear smartwatch activity trackers?

Most parents felt that it is possible for young children to wear and engage with smartwatch activity trackers, but that several factors may influence this:

• Age and development: there’s a big developmental difference between a three-year-old and a five-year-old with older preschoolers more likely to understand and engage with the device’s functions and rewards.
  
• Personality and temperament: these devices may be more appealing to kids who are goal-oriented or enjoy challenges. Less motivated or easily distracted children might lose interest quickly.
  
• Independence and parental support: almost all parents agreed that preschoolers would need adult help to use the devices meaningfully. This includes interpreting feedback and managing rewards.
  
• Novelty and wearability: while the initial excitement might get kids interested, this interest could fade over time. Some children may find wearing a device uncomfortable, especially during play or in hot weather.

In short, while parents think it is possible for young children to wear them, ongoing use would depend on a child’s age, personality, and how involved parents are in helping them.

What are parents concerned about?

• Have to vs want to: many parents worried that activity trackers may encourage movement for rewards, rather than simply the joy of movement or play. Over time, this could dampen children’s natural desire to be active for fun.
  
• Distraction: devices could disrupt positive behaviours like creative play or rest, sometimes becoming a source of distraction rather than motivation.
  
• Parental burden: tracking and interpreting a child’s activity data adds to the workload of already busy parents and may create feelings of guilt if recommended goals are not met.
  
• Privacy and safety: concerns were raised around data security, location tracking, and the possibility of information being misused or accessed by others.

These concerns highlight the importance of considering the broader impact of introducing wearable technology to young children.

Where activity trackers might help

The overwhelming view was that typical preschoolers are naturally active and energetic. Parents generally did not see a need for devices to boost physical activity in healthy, active kids. However, parents identified some situations where activity trackers might help:

• To bring awareness and prompt conversations: many parents were interested in using activity trackers simply to better understand their child’s activity patterns. The devices could also open family discussions about movement and health.
  
• Special circumstances: trackers might be helpful for children who are less active due to health issues, temperament, or limited access to outdoor spaces. 
  
• Part of a broader program: activity trackers could be part of a toolkit – alongside other strategies – to encourage movement.

Ultimately, parents felt that these devices may have limited use for typical preschoolers but recognised their potential in specific situations, especially for raising awareness and targeting inactivity.