My first experience with smart watch technology happened last fall. I bought one—a good one. I wore it. I marveled at the ability to receive and respond to notifications from my wrist.
And then I realized it was making me a worse human being.
People noticed it light up or vibrate whenever a message came in. They noticed how I disconnected from them—even for just a split second—to glance down at it.
There’s only one thing you can do to make technology more distracting than a smartphone: take it out of your pocket and attach it to your body.
So a very good friend of mine got a smart watch. Good for him. I actually encourage people to try them (if they’ve got the discretionary funds). Why not? We live in the future.
Today, I wanted to text that friend—some things were incidental, some personal. But I hesitated.
Because all I could think about was how the meaning of my message might be lost to the novelty of the Taptic Engine. (Which, by the way, is one of Apple’s best marketing inventions—it’s just their term for “vibration.” Source)
I didn’t want to be the reason he broke eye contact with his sister visiting from out of town. Or why it took him 30 minutes to make a sandwich instead of 5. Or the thing that interrupted a moment of quiet prayer.
It’s not the watch’s fault. I could interrupt his life the same way via phone—and I probably already have.
Is it my fault? Maybe. Partially.
Let me be honest: I don’t think smart watches are powerful. I think they’re kind of dumb.
They feel like a weird attempt by the tech world to guess what comes after smartphones. Maybe smart watches will catch on. But if they do, I suspect the way we interact with computers will have changed so much that the wrist-based form factor might finally make sense.
But here’s the truth: I am responsible for my own levels of focus and distraction.
Regardless of the device, I choose how often I check it. I can create a distraction-free life. I can choose connection—with people, not pixels.
It always puzzles me when people say they feel guilty for not replying to texts or emails immediately. Why?
Don’t give others control over your peace of mind.
Don’t trade your serenity for a dopamine hit.
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