There’s no denying the boom that has taken place in the wellness world when it comes to wearable devices. From Fitbits to heart-rate watches, it seems as though these devices came from nowhere and are now everyone; not just among fitness buffs, but everyone from moms to teenagers taking control of their health.
However, while there’s a ton of distinct benefits that these wearable devices can bring into your life, it’s worth taking a moment to see what effect these devices are having and how they can affect you. This is exactly what we’re going to be looking into today.
Improving Your Health
Of course, the main benefit or effect that wearables can bring into your life is giving you the opportunity to manage actively, and hopefully improve, your health. Whether you’re watching your weight, or taking steps to get fitter, healthier, and stronger in your own body, a wearable device can help you track and make the right decisions around it.
From tracking calories to getting active and moving around a suitable amount of time, being able to track what you do and how you’re living your life and then making decisions to be better, or at least in your best interest. From motivational notifications to inspire you to stand up and walk around to tracking your improvements over time, the benefits that these devices can bring are clear.
Information Security
One of the most important considerations that are generally overlooked with wearable devices is the level of security your personal data has, or more importantly, the lack of security it has. Typically, these devices use unsecured Bluetooth technology or Wi-Fi connections, ultimately meaning anyone can get their hands on your data with the right tools, which are scarily accessible.
What’s more, big data companies can take your information to use it to create their own databases and create specialist targeted marketing ads, and while this does have its benefits, there is always the chance it can be misused, just like it was during the Cambridge Analytica scandals.
Added Stress
Another overlooked factor comes in the form of added stress and anxiety that having a wearable device can bring into your life. Balance is essential when it comes to monitoring your health and wellness, as it is with all things in life, but taking things too far can be detrimental to your health.
Checking what your heart rate, how many calories you’re eating, and how many steps you’re taking can become an obsession. If you’re not reaching targets or hitting goals or not moving enough, or even if there are times where your heart rate is way higher than you want it to be, this can add even more stress into your life to the point where it can become very unhealthy for your mental health.
Summary
This is just the type of the iceberg when it comes to things to think about considering your physical and mental health when using wearable devices. It’s important when using any new technology that you plan on using for the foreseeable;e future that you keep an open mind and see how it affects you as an individual, and then judging whether it’s doing more harm than good.
