Oral Roberts University: Stop Grading Students on their Fitbit Activity

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Carol Missel
4 years ago
I am a Wheaton College graduate and Lead Family Therapist at an eating disorder clinic. Being an alumni from a Christian College, I particularly understand the pressures that young people have at such a school. The Fitbit reinforces the value that we are attractive and good stewards based on external measurements, versus inner qualities of character, commitment and mission/purpose. Shame on you ORU for having students measure their self-worth on numbers, which is inevitable when you are equipping these young, not yet fully developed humans and children of God, to measure themselves by numbers and activities that do not reflect the heart of God towards his creation. Each student is loved and valued by God for their essence, and their Christian community should reflect that as well.
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Susanna di pasquale
4 years ago
This could potentially have harmful psychological effects on students. This can promote health, however, you do not know peoples mental health, overall health or health history. Requiring them to wear this device is ridiculous and harmful to their overall well being. They need to focus on their overall health, happiness, making friendships, growing into an adult their proud of and enjoying their life. They do not need to calorie count between classes.
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Tori Meehan
4 years ago
I attend Oral Roberts University. In high school, I struggled with an eating disorder. While the Fitbit tracking has encouraged me to stay on top of working out and I do believe that the Fitbit tracking does have positive implications, the risk for eating disorder development is way too high and dangerous. Eating disorders are a severe mental illness and should not be taken lightly.
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Will Purdy
4 years ago
As a University student I'm appalled by an institutional policy that measures the merits of our academic and intellectual pursuits based on an irrelevant level of physical activity.
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Bonnie Bayliss
4 years ago
I am very close to two young women with eating disorders.
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Mary Hebert
4 years ago
I'm signing because my daughter has a eating disorder that she has been fighting for over ten years! It is stupid misguided fitness programs that fuel the eating disorders. My daughters middle school tracked their BMI on a board for everyone to see! It was a code number and not their names but the students knew who was who. It has been years of travel, time, money. We could have lost our daughter a few times and by the Grace of God we didn't!
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Jamie Washburn
4 years ago
Students have enough social and academic pressures without having to constantly be worried about their physical abilities and limitations. This is not productive, this is unhealthy and wrong.
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Anita Kanitz
4 years ago
"As women, we must stand up for ourselves. We must stand up for each other. We must stand up for justice for all."
-Michelle Obama

"One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. "
-Michelle Obama
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Pia Jablonski
4 years ago
This requirement is a bad idea. Or if you so will: a very bad idea.
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Ijah Jablonski
4 years ago
Fitbit should be used willingly, not forcefully. To think that we can force change is absurd and can have devastating consequences, such as eating disorders, negative self-image, and more.
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