What is it about fitness gear these days that prompt people to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on them? One would never guess that a simple watch could help one lose weight or become healthier and more active.

Samsung and other companies have released fitness tech such as watches, which are the most popular, and even apps that track how much you walk and the amount of calories you burn. But overall, I believe that fitness tech is not only a waste of money but gives customers false hope.

These watches can easily be manipulated and falsified simply by removing the watch and shaking it. By doing this, it increases the statistical amount of calories you are losing, yet all you did was shake it. The same goes for the countless apps I have on my phone that claim to track how many steps I make, but in reality it just reacts to the movement it feels.

The best way to try to lose weight and be healthy is by doing it the old fashioned way. Go to the gym, walk each day and keep away from obnoxiously fattening foods. You do not need a watch to tell you to do that, especially at the prices that companies are trying to sell. Recently, CNET released the best wearable tech of 2015 and the prices of them range from $50 to $140. Watches were meant to tell time, not to track your calories.

More importantly, The New York Times recently released an article about the potential dangers of wearable tech and how it may contain small amounts of radiation, which in the future can cause bodily harm. It is composed of the same compounds that cell phones have, which is why we are advised not to be on the phone for too long, which can also lead to brain cancer.

I understand innovation and wanting to move away from the “pen and pencil” days, but some things that are “ancient” to us may actually be the best and safest way to go. There is no fast way to lose weight and be healthy no matter what these companies are advertising. It takes time and commitment, which a computer shouldn’t have to tell you.