The interconnectivity that comes with smart devices is amazing, but sometimes they are too demanding of my time. That’s why I love the idea of a go-between. I’m talking smartwatches; it’s a new twist on an old idea, and it’s the perfect way to stay in the loop while avoiding unnecessary distractions.
We’ve all gone to check the time on a phone, get distracted answering a few emails, checked Facebook, watched a YouTube video, and then, only after putting down the phone, realized that we forgot to check the time. Or there’s the scenario of two people out to dinner and neither of them are talking or even looking at each other; they’re both staring at their phones.
Additionally, in trying to be a conscientious student, my phone is permanently on silent, so I miss a lot of calls and don’t get to messages right away. Having an intelligent piece of tech on my wrist that keeps me inconspicuously in the loop is pretty amazing.
Yes, some people say that the smartwatch fad is just that, a fad—just one more device to add to the already heaping pile of new tech gadgets—but glancing at your watch in a social situation is less obtrusive than pulling out a smartphone. Smartwatches allow you to decide in a split second if that incoming message is really worth the interruption.
I look forward to the day when smartwatches can help maintain health through simple notifications, like monitoring insulin for diabetics or glucose levels for hypoglycemia, or reminding you to drink water, because that headache you’re experiencing? That’s dehydration.
Smartwatches are here to stay, and that’s fine by me. I’ll gladly sport a piece of tech that has at least some of the capabilities of a tricorder on my wrist any day of the week.