First-time Fitbit user

I've never owned a smart watch.

I've owned high tech watches but they were for Scuba Diving. Just recently I've finally bought a Fitbit, in a bid to (re)start my running for mental health journey.

I'm a relative noob when it comes to technology. I'm comfortable enough with using most and can usually find my way around new tech but I must confess, I've been too afraid to really delve into too much new tech. Largely I think from a resistance to change. I grew up in the 80s and 90s. We just didn't have it and nor did we know what we were missing. Times as they say are changing.

So I bought a Fitbit Charge 5. It was on sale and I love it. The rectangular screen is not as tiny as some I've seen which my 40yr old eyes appreciate. The strap is a nice ivory colour. I love the stats, especially my sleep stats and heart rate during running stats. I can absolutely see the benefit this will have to my running and my overall mental health awareness (sleep hygiene has been a failing of mine for a long time). I don't understand really many of the other features.

It has a quirky thing called EDA which is supposed to measure electrical impulses in your skin that are markers for stress. I do not put too much stock in this although there is some merit in the overall concept based on the scant research I've done. The more responses in EDA you have the higher the level of electrodermal activity you have. But the sensors on a watch cannot be nearly accurate enough for the readings to mean anything, although I suppose if it is used regularly you may build up enough of a database to make it personally useful. Especially in knowing what you can do to lower your number of responses.

Those same sensors are used (in the same way) to measure your ECG. Frankly, I find this to be a hoot and considering they've laced this feature with so many warnings about how this is not a diagnosis, do not change medications etc, I'm not sure how Fitbit expect any of its users to find anything useful or interesting in this feature at all. Still, it's amusing I suppose.

Now for my actual gripes.

The watch is supposedly able to connect to my phone and notify me of messages etc. It doesn't. I am well aware as a technical noob I've either not connected it or this is something totally different (notify me of messages from the Fitbit community maybe? But it has a picture of a mobile phone so that doesn't track).

Also, I think I'm allergic to the silicon watch band, it's constantly itchy. Either that or it's because the band needs to be firm in order to read the heart rate (seriously the heart rate monitoring drops out so much). There, my one winge about that. I can buy a new (cloth) band but at $50 I'll wait.

The GPS is weird. It tracked a loose approximation of my run but then also tracked a similar map of my ride on a stationary bike. Seems odd to me that the GPS had me moving and overall makes me trust the feature less. Its largely unimportant though, I know where I was.

The watch has a feature letting you use your digital wallet. I can absolutely see the benefits. The idea of running through a park and being able to stop for a cold drink and not need to have my wallet or phone on me is nice. Totally useless to me where I live but it is an idyllic thought.

Still. I like my foray into wearable tech. I can see myself making firm use of the running features for years to come. Me being who I am I will probably still be using this exact watch for many years to come rather than upgrade.