Health technology is constantly improving.   There are new inventions everyday that are better than yesterday’s inventions.  Companies out do themselves with new inventions.  For example, Fitbit Flex was the first smart watch Fitbit created.  The Flex tracked step count, calorie intake, and sleep patterns. The newest Fitbit, the Fitbit Blaze tracks steps, calorie intake, sleep patterns, heart rate, and has additional features like a GPS and onscreen workouts.  Fitbit is one of many companies that makes health monitors.  New companies are creating health monitoring apps that go directly through a smartphone.  This may all seem well but there are some down sides to this.

Fitbit Flex 1 ^                                                                  Fitbit Blaze ^

One downside to these health apps is that some of these don’t actually improve one’s health.  The Federal Trade Commission performed a study on 700 apps available through iTunes that claimed to be good for one’s mental health of the 700 apps 23 were classified as good for one’s mental health.

Another downside of these new health monitoring apps/devices is the issue of privacy.  Apple has a pre-set health app installed in the phone.  If the app picks up something abnormal in your health, the app has the ability to contact one’s doctor.  Yes, this can be a good thing too.  If healthy results on the app are being send to one’s doctor, they could get a discount.  However, this is a matter of how much one individual wants their doctor know.  If results are being sent to people’s doctors then they could feel pressured to exercise and that’s not the purpose of these apps.  Privacy issues are not just a problem with health apps, there are privacy issues throughout all social media.  For example most don’t the power Facebook has or what Facebook can do with someone’s profile.

With all this bad there is still good in health apps/monitors.  The good health apps and monitors help promote healthy choices.  They teach individuals on how they can maintain a healthy status and that is the most important part.  Getting someone to healthy status is hard but once they are there they must maintain that status and that’s what these apps/monitors are best at.

There is both good and bad with the current health apps and monitors.  I personally think that in the future these health monitors and apps will benefit society greatly.  They will cause less trips to the doctor’s office and provide safe and proper ways for people to get and stay healthy.

On this day I took my senior pictures on my home field where I played football.  I was wearing my jersey and had my cleats so this sunset and the beautiful clouds were just a reminder as to how amazing my experience on that field was.  It was almost as though nature knew I left everything I had on that field and wanted me to have a proper parting.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton