ABSTRACT
This chapter overviews the most pressing issues and relevant considerations related to the implementation of emerging technologies in the promotion of physical activity (PA) and health. Recent emerging technologies, including online social media, active video games, and health wearable devices and apps, have brought new challenges to the implementation of theory-based PA intervention strategies. Use of emerging technologies at the intrapersonal level often include technology which captures an individual's personal PA data, beliefs, health status, and environments—typically in conjunction with proximal contextual information and real-time feedback. PA interventions at interpersonal and ecological level usually employ online social networking, active video games, global positioning systems (GPS)/geographic information systems (GIS), and web-based virtual worlds and community-oriented social networking games to gather data in the abovementioned manners. New smart mobile devices and other Internet-based emerging technologies make it possible for all parties to work together in promoting PA and health in powerful and innovative ways that were previously unimaginable.
