Could I Be Addicted to This Wearable Device?

There's a nervous excitement. Visible is the cold breath coming from my fellow runners as they execute the "about to run" jiggle on the beginning point.

A quick twitch of the hips.

I'm participating in my local 5km community parkrun and I'm focused. The countdown begins...

Wait a second. I have to start my device. So does the person next to me.

The person behind us sighs. I won't start until… done! GPS ready, away I go.

During the scramble, it's challenging to spot a wrist without a wearable on it. And this extends beyond us athletes who use them.

It's a explosive, multi-billion pound sector. Names like Samsung Galaxy are prevalent, featuring an wide range of various versions to fit a spectrum of lifestyles. According to how high tech the device you choose, price tags can range from £100 to a small fortune.

"I find it infuriating, I can't switch off."

"It provides solace… It acts as a companion guiding me."

"I wish it wouldn't say about a restless night."

A small sample of the reactions I've had from like-minded smartwatch wearers when I question what they their opinion is on theirs.

The Data Dilemma

My thoughts on my own device? Right now, annoying. It's reporting my speed is wrong, causing me to question whether the overhead branches I'm passing under are interfering with my satellite signal.

A vast number of us strap these compact devices onto our wrists and wear them constantly, apparently comfortable with the fact they're perpetually monitoring us.

Gone are the days when we depended on them only to give us an estimation of our step count. Now, they can analyse our sleep patterns, heart rate, glucose levels, our VO2 max.

It's a challenge to find a health indicator they don't track.

But are they able to do what they advertise? And are the data points we analyse a accurate representation of the truth? Do they improve our daily wellness, or do the multitude of readings and cheerleading alerts just add to our daily stresses?

A Love-Hate Relationship

"I do get a a little obsessed with mine," an individual confesses.

While she appreciates how her device records her workouts, she finds some of its other functions "overwhelming" at times - a feeling initially realised during a pregnancy.

Prior to discovering she could adjust the settings, her smartwatch repeatedly informed her she was failing to be energetic enough. In a new phase, the watch keeps telling her she's had a restless night.

"I am caring for a infant, it's unnecessary for me to be informed I'm tired," she says. "I know that only too well."

Why doesn't she just stop wearing it?

"I could, theoretically, but I have this love-hate relationship with it," she continues. "I appreciate it for its fitness insights, I just wonder whether the additional features it can now do is maybe overkill for me."

How Do They Work?

Each model of smartwatch has its own proprietary way of tracking your health metrics and processing your data, but the most use sensors on the underside of the watch.

They commonly shine tiny, coloured LED lights onto your skin which can monitor capillary action, recording your BPM. More advanced devices detect changes in the skin conductance that runs through the skin to gauge your nervous system activity.

Expert Perspectives

A professor says that overall for smartwatches, it's a "delicate equilibrium" - while the rapidly advancing tech could actually save lives, "identifying issues before we notice anything", it could also turn us watch wearers into the "anxious healthy".

He points out that the most advanced wearables can carry out tests like heart rhythm analysis, which continuously monitor how healthy the heart is. They can notify if someone is experiencing an irregular rhythm, where there is abnormal signals in the heart causing an irregular heartbeat.

This does not mean someone is imminently going to suffer a cardiac event, but it can give an preliminary indication they might be more susceptible of a blood clot in the future.

But how to make sense of these readings is complex. The expert worries that as further capabilities are incorporated, people may find it hard to fully contextualise their data.

"I remain sceptical that the ability to monitor so many things is such a positive development," he says.

A professor focusing on patient behaviour echoes this sentiment. A study into the influence of wearable tech on a specific group of cardiovascular patients suggested a noticeable percentage of those who were given devices to monitor their cardiac function experienced increased anxiety and were "far more likely to use healthcare resources".

She observed a cycle with her patients - they saw a alarming metric on their watch. They grew concerned. Their BPM increased. They got increasingly anxious. They re-examined the data, and their heart rate went up again.

"If we see numbers about ourselves that we can't properly interpret then, of course, we are going to want to know more," the psychologist says. "We monitor, we check again - it becomes a vicious cycle."