Zift partnered with PHIT America to develop a mobile app that encourages physical activity. The app provides screen time parenting tools, as well as insights and resources to families.
PHIT America developed a strategy to educate parents, reduce use of app and mobile devices and rebuild the roots of physical activity that they believe will be part of a solution to the decrease in activity levels in U.S. children. The “1-2-3 Physical Activity Plan” consists of:
1. Educating Parents. Many parents are not aware of the issues of physical inactivity and the causes. Through the release of a pair of newly released videos – both titled Creating Healthier & Smarter Kids: The Power of Physical Education — by PHIT America, it will help educate Americans about the academic and physical health benefits for children, when given regular physical activity breaks or P.E. at school.
2. Reducing Use of App & Mobile Devices. One of the causes of physical inactivity is the increase in screen time. By limiting the number of digital distractions for children by installing the ZIFT app on their smartphones or tablets, it will allow parents to monitor and set limits on their children’s online activity. By limiting online access through their devices, it will encourage children to be more physically active.
3. Rebuilding the Roots of Physical Activity. Another cause of the ‘Inactivity Pandemic’ is the elimination of physical education programs in schools. Almost 50% of all high schools have no physical education and many don’t have recess. PHIT America is rebuilding the roots of physical activity by distributing PHIT America GO! Grants to schools, the place where all children learn basic physical activity skills. In physical education, students learn basic skills to be physically active for life. Also, there is conclusive evidence that more active children improve academically.
“Screen time is one of the main reasons why our children have become less active, affecting their overall health and even academic performance,” said David Savage, co-founder of Zift. “That’s why we’re so excited to be teaming up with PHIT America to reverse the ‘Inactivity Pandemic’ and offer parents resources, in addition to, solutions to these issues. With Zift, parents can gain transparency into their child’s digital life and even take action by pausing activity on the device to better promote physical activity and healthy digital habits.”
Zift was created as a comprehensive and free solution for families wanting a safe and healthy way to live with smartphones, social media, apps and other screen time media. Zift functions after downloading the app on both the parent’s and child’s phone, and is available for free download for iOS and Android users and is also available as a Premium subscription for $4.99 per month. Through this partnership, every PHIT America donor that supports the movement to get kids active receives a complementary 2-month subscription to Zift Premium.
From this, the free version of Zift offers a “Family Feed” which gives parents instant reporting and visibility of their child’s online searches. Other features for parents include the ability to see their child’s location, manage settings for content filtering on their child’s device, view and block apps installed on their child’s device, and create a curfew for apps and the internet. Through its Parent Portal and App Advisor at WeZift.com, Zift also provides numerous resources for families to understand and navigate a child’s technology use.
Said Jim Baugh, founder of PHIT America, “Working with Zift, we wanted to offer real solutions to these issues and our approach to reversing physical inactivity in America absolutely includes getting children to spend less time being sedentary on their devices and more time developing the skills to be physically active.”
