Module 2: Inquiry Research / Media & Technology

Module 2: Inquiry Research / Media & Technology

Mass media which includes radio, television and the print media is a great source of information for the society. Every day we are bombarded with images that come out of the television, magazines or the newspapers. The radio is yet another medium that has the potential to captivate our attention. While there are several useful and important messages that are disseminated by these instruments of mass media, it is also important to note that there are some messages that may not be in the best interests of humanity as a whole. The images that we see every day and the message that we hear from these media instruments can have a very profound impact on almost all of the choices that we make. In fact, the choices that we make with regards to our food are also influenced by these very same instruments of the media.

Advertising is the primary source of income for the media. Through advertising, we see several messages on a daily basis. A majority of them will be connected with food and the food industry as a whole. Television channels, radio, print media and the internet are all used to deliver the message about various food items that are in the market. Food manufacturers market their products in these mediums in order to ensure that their products are sold to their target audiences. Millions of pounds are spent by manufacturers in order to make their advertisements attractive. Techniques like attractive jingles, catchy phrases and attractive photography are employed to create an illusory world where the food item that is being marketed will seem irresistible.

Media instruments like television are also directly responsible for obesity and overweight. Children who watch a lot of television will demand the food items that are in commercials. These need not be healthy food items. Television viewing has even been inversely related to the intake of healthy food items like fruits and vegetables. It also needs to be said that media can also have a positive influence on food habits. When the messages that are being transmitted are accurate and promote healthy food choices, it may have a positive impact on the food habits of the general public. It can be said without any doubt that the media does have an impact on our food habits. It is therefore important to ensure that the messages that are broadcast are accurate and advocate healthy diets and healthy food.

I do believe that now days media and technology is groeing massively with regards to promoting nutrition and well-being facts/statements/articles/tips/gadgets, however I find that not every source we read is reliable or truthful.

Whenever I log into Facebook, for example, I find that I am bombarded with a huge range of nutrition and fitness blogs and articles, promoting new, 'eye opening' food phenomena within snazzy, intriguing titles to grab your interest. I do admit I read a variation of these links, however I cannot count the amount of times I have dissagreed with particular information or indentified that 2 familiar sources are extremely controversial. 

The FITBIT

Among fitness products, Fitbit is well in the lead for sales and hype – accounting for over 50% of the three million plus sales of wearable fitness devices across a one-year period in 2013 and 2014, and sales increasing at a breakneck speed. I can count myself among one of those sales, when I strapped the Fitbit Flex onto my wrist back in June of 2013. I was intrigued by the promise that the Fitbit would monitor my sleep and record my activity.

Fitbit’s mantra is to make fitness part of your daily routine, allowing you to track your own data and use social media to “challenge” friends to meet their exercise goals. Fitbit has tapped into our need to be constantly connected by giving you live data – on your wrist – of how much you have walked each day. When you meet your daily goal, the Fitbit lets you know with a strong vibrating buzz.

From my own experience (and the testimonials of many others on the internet), the Fitbit can inspire you to exercise more to meet your daily goals (the default is 10,000 steps per day, but you can increase or decrease that amount if you choose). I know there have been times that I have marched in place before bedtime, or walked somewhere instead of biking to gain some steps and get that rewarding buzz telling me, “goal achieved.”

But is this a trend that will last? 3 months later, I still love my Fitbit. But are these fitness devices actually helpful for the (perhaps less exercise-obsessed) general public? By being aware of how much (or how little) you are exercising, can the Fitbit motivate you exercise more? And perhaps more importantly, how well do fitness trackers work? Is the information (steps, distance, calories) even accurate?

Heavy Metal Exposure from a Fitbit?

In March 2014, the Consumer Product Safety Commission officially recalled the Fitbit Force due to injuries to an estimated 9,900 people.  These customers suffered from skin irritations such as blisters, rashes, and peeling skin after continual wearing of the Fitbit Force for a period of time.  Fitbit stated that after consulting with medical professionals, the general assessment is that the skin problems were likely allergic reactions to nickel, a alloy in the stainless steel or adhesives used to assemble the Fitbit Force.

While it is well known that ingesting heavy metals like nickel can cause health problems, what is less well known is that the skin can absorb heavy metals too. Cooking acidic foods in stainless steel is known to leech alloys like nickel into the food, but could stainless steel placed on the skin which is normally acidic at a pH of 4.5-5.5 leech metals too?  Even minute amounts of heavy metals in the body can have negative health consequences so this is far from a trivial concern.

Until there is more research and definitive answers to this question, it seems prudent to be wary of products like the Fitbit Force that expose the skin to heavy metals for extended periods of time.

The huge amount of 'fitness trackers' on offer within this generation is very evident! Whether it's a Fit Bit or an Apple Watch, these gadgets can prove to be an excellent gadget for an athlete or performer in particular. I am slightly obsessed with my Fit Bit Flex as I love to keep track of my daily step count, calorie intake, activity and sleep pattern. This tracker is now a prominent factor of my lifestyle, however I am concerned as to whether these 'technological phenomena' are beneficial within a performer's long term career and lifestyle? How easy is it to overdose on fitness gadgets, hypes and trends?