# Positioning Methods and the Use of Location and Activity Data in Forests
## 6 Emerging Research Needs
### Evaluating Potential Adverse Health Impacts of Wearable Technology Use  
As smartphones, smartwatches, and the numerous technologies discussed throughout this paper become omnipresent in natural resources because of the many beneficial applications, a consideration for managers and researchers is whether there may be potential adverse health impacts of regularly using wearable and carried electronic devices, with increasing human exposure over time. While most prior research indicates minimal health impacts associated with RF exposure, blue light associated with smartphone, tablet and laptop screens has received prior attention related to possible health effects on sleep [239]. Millimeter wave wireless impacts on the body have been identified as an area for future research [240]. Smartphone addiction is a problem receiving attention in recent research as well [241] and has been associated with anxiety and depression [242]. Additionally, repetitive use of smartphones may be associated with increased upper extremity pain [243]. While documented impacts of device use appear to be relatively minor, perception of possible adverse health impacts of increasing device use is a common concern raised when discussing related research and applications. Addressing and Establishing Policies to Resolve Social and Ethical Concerns Associated with Sharing Worker Health Data  
Regardless of any possible direct health impacts discussed in the previous section, the sharing of personal activity monitoring data and associated personal health metrics collected by wearable sensors introduces a range of important questions about ethical propriety and social acceptance [244; 245; 246; 247]. Before these data are widely integrated into analytics for natural resources, research must first apprehend worker perspectives on the sharing of personal data, potentially with supervisors. Despite having a variety of well-intentioned wellness and safety benefits for employees and recreationists, the use of personal, identifiable information will require various protocols, such as those for ensuring users' voluntary consent. As research and development in LBS, IoT, activity recognition, and other sensor-based applications push the limits of privacy with emerging big data analysis, new challenges and questions emerge for natural resource management. For example, what methods are there for providing anonymity to individual workers while monitoring work crews' overall wellness in aggregate? What are the responsibilities of employers who have access to health data, as is becoming increasingly common, to report apparent health anomalies or concerns? These are complex issues for natural resources managers and researchers alike to grapple with, and policy research evaluating options and solutions will be needed. As mobile devices continue to become the hub for a variety of local data connectivity linking internal and external sensors, another important consideration is evaluating whether employees are willing to use their smartphones for work-related applications. Normative Research Evaluating New Use Cases of LBS and IoT Concepts to Improve Natural Resource Science and Management  
In urban environments, the use of LBS in marketing and sales is growing rapidly. Retailers can tailor shopping experiences to the consumer, identifying individuals through their smartphones using Bluetooth or WiFi [26; 227; 248]. Bluetooth beacons placed under displays or within objects in the store are used to adapt shopping and sales experiences to individuals and their preferences based on available information such as purchase history or internet searches, much as the advertisements displayed on websites are personalized based on browsing history. In what ways can we take advantage of a similar level of human physical interaction with objects, equipment and the environment in forestry and wildland fire?