Rohith Kinattukara
Smartwatches have been in the market for quite some time. Some would argue that, the first so called smart watches were introduced to the public during the 80s with the Seiko Data 2000, or even the famous Casio calculator smartwatches that were extremely popular for its unique looks and functionality. However, the modern smartwatch market shifted during 2012, when a small start-up called Pebble introduced their first product with the help of crowdfunding. However their success was short lived with Apple and Samsung coming up with their own iterations of the technology.
I personally have been using smartwatches for 4 years, and it has been a great tool for me in terms of fitness and keeping a healthy lifestyle. Apple watches have really important health features such as an ECG monitor, a blood oxygen monitor, sleep tracking, period tracking, and heart rate notifications to just name a few. Beside the health features, the watch has a beautiful display, with seamless connection your iPhone. Fitness tracking is widely used by many, the watch allows you to read how many calories have been burned, and this is something I do use every day, along with the step counter. The teaching of the Church constantly reminds us of treating our body as a temple, and we should take care of it.
I can get so caught up on what is happening on the virtual level that I have to constantly remind myself to ‘Think of what is above, not of what is on Earth’”
My apple watch is always connected to my iPhone and has been a great tool to minimise my phone usage whenever there are notifications from social media apps or messaging apps. Or that’s what I thought.
Yes, a smartwatch gives you notifications that could be important and would be impossible to read from your phone if you are in a meeting, especially many having the habit of putting their device down so the screen wouldn’t distract them. Then there is the debate of putting the phone on silent (which would still buzz) or putting in on do not disturb, which eliminates the whole idea of reading important messages. Having a smartwatch could eliminate that, right? Well, no. The constant checking of your watch, is not only disrespectful, but also another form of distraction, similar to checking your phone for absolutely no reason. I am constantly looking for that buzz on my wrist. Even if there isn’t a buzz, I would just check my watch, craving for that one buzz. I can get so caught up on what is happening on the virtual level that I have to constantly remind myself to “Think of what is above, not of what is on Earth” (Col 3:2).
Adapt
An incident that I will never forget happened to me last year with my aunt and cousins. I was having dinner at her place, and mid conversation, I started getting the usual app notifications, such as app promotions and the “stop being lazy, time to stand up” notification. I was subtly checking my watch just to be sure, and ignored it. Five minutes later I was greeted with messages from different people all at once. I kept checking my watch, not to see what it was, but just to stop it. My aunt looked at me with a firm stare and told me “If you really want to leave, you can leave.” I had to explain to her the whole process, and only after that she calmed down.
The idea of a smartwatch is brilliant, to keep track of your fitness and health goals, and time to time, reduce your phone usage. A great alternative would be to adopt fitness bands, does all the functionalities as a smart watch, except with notifications and big display with different app connectivity.
Catholics should always remember that God created our bodies to stay healthy and be fit. Like the bible verse from the 1 Corinthians 6:19 says “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own”. Being fit is an important aspect of everyday life, and technology like these smartwatches should be balanced.
When purchasing one there should be a great sense of responsibility when using the device”
Fitness devices can also help in mindfulness, which is also an important aspect of being a Catholic. Being present and taking some time off is very important for having a peaceful life. Within the watch, there are apps that allow this, which gives you a distraction-free time of your own.
There are watches that only allow for location tracking, and certain contacts to be stored, and this is great for parents who do not want to give their children smartphones. However, one must remember, when purchasing one there should be a great sense of responsibility when using the device. The only reason why there might be lots of notifications traces back to the main source; our smartphones and our app usage, because all the notifications come from the phone and not the watch itself.
Rohith Kinattukara is a Catholic student from Griffith College Dublin studying MSc in Procurement and Supply Chain Management who loves to write and breathes tech.