By Jonathon Stavres MS, ACSM-EP-C
Americans today are more connected than ever before. Thanks to cellular technology two people from different continents can speak to one another in real time. This type of technology has also led to more realistic video game-play, advances in smart phone applications, and has improved the access to and entertainment value of movies and television.
As an illustration, a person can now watch an entire football game in high definition on their cell phone; or if they chose they can play a football based video game on their phone. There are certainly benefits to these technological advances.
There are also some risks.
A recent study by Sandercock et. al (2016) examined the relationships between sedentary time, physical activity, fitness level, and media device ownership in a group of 750 English junior high and high school students. The study found that sedentary time was negatively associated with physical fitness, measured by a 20m shuttle run test. This means that the more time spent sedentary, specifically over the weekend, the lower the fitness level of the student.
Researchers also found that boys who owned some type of video game were more likely to be more sedentary, suggesting that boys who simply own video games are more likely to have a lower fitness level. Additionally, boys who lived in a house that owned a satellite or cable television receiver were at a higher risk of having a lower fitness level than boys who don’t. This directly relates media usage to fitness level.
Although only one study is discussed here, there are many others that illustrate the negative relationship between the over-use of technology and physical fitness.
While advances in technology can have great benefits, it is important to avoid dependency on video games, cell phones, and computers; especially in youth.
Article’s Resources
Larwin, K. H., & Larwin, D. A. (2008). Decreasing excessive media usage while increasing physical activity: a single-subject research study. Behav Modif, 32(6), 938-956. doi: 10.1177/0145445508319668
Lepp, A., Barkley, J. E., Sanders, G. J., Rebold, M., & Gates, P. (2013). The relationship between cell phone use, physical and sedentary activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness in a sample of U.S. college students. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 10, 79. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-10-79
Sandercock, G. R., Alibrahim, M., & Bellamy, M. (2016). Media device ownership and media use: Associations with sedentary time, physical activity and fitness in English youth. Prev Med Rep, 4, 162-168. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.05.013