Reasons Why Everyone Should Stop Wearing Their Smart Watch Immediately

1. They're distracting

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If you wear a smartwatch, you're constantly connected and you're probably plagued by the constant notifications that bleep and buzz at every given moment of the day.  And these can cause so many distractions including at work, during meetings, when socializing, and even when driving too!

2. They disrupt your sleep

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Along with the constant buzzing, bleeping, and distractions disturbing your sleep, the screens of smartwatches also emit blue light which is notorious for disrupting your sleep patterns and even causing insomnia!  And as we know, a lack of sleep can be really detrimental to our health!

3. They might cause stress and anxiety

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If you are constantly connected to the world, always reachable, and always reminded of everything you need to do AND you have a constant tracker on things like your steps, heart rate, and stress, it's no wonder these devices cause us an undue amount of stress and anxiety on our lives!

4. They could cause skin irritation

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If you've got your smartwatch on all the time, your skin underneath is probably getting a little sore and itchy from sweating underneath the strap and watch face.  You might find that you've got noticeable marks on your wrist or raised bumps from the irritation which can be uncomfortable and unsightly!

5. They're not always accurate

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Many of us use our smartwatches for tracking our health and fitness, including our heart rate, blood pressure, stress, and daily steps.  But the thing is, they're not always 100% accurate and can lead to you making decisions that are actually detrimental to your health.

6. You're constantly connected

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If you've got a device attached to your wrist, you're forever connected to the world.  This means that people can contact you whenever they want and you're probably constantly distracted by notifications which can have a huge impact on your stress levels and productivity too!

7. What about electromagnetic pollution?

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Some people believe that smartwatches create unnecessary electromagnetic pollution and, although there's limited research on the matter, some medical experts believe that this could cause you and possibly those around you unwanted health problems in the long term.

8. What if you become dependent on technology?

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It is believed that using a device like a smartwatch could cause you to become entirely dependent on technology and even addicted to social media.  And both of these side effects from wearing a smartwatch have been found to cause physical and mental health problems.

9. There's a risk of injury

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If you wear a smartwatch all of the time, like when you're working out or driving, it can cause you to become distracted and potentially have accidents like a trip or fall, or even a crash.  And these accidents may o doubt cause you some kinds of injuries.

10. Smartwatches could cause circulation issues

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The pressure exerted by your smartwatch on the wrist is believed to cause circulation issues which can inevitably contribute to negative impacts on your overall physical health.  This is bad news if you have existing issues with your circulation as it could potentially make symptoms worse.

11. They interfere with medical devices

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If you have an existing medical condition that requires a medical device, for example, a pacemaker, the general advice is that you do not use or wear a smartwatch because there is a good chance that it will interfere with your device and put you at risk.

12. Painful wrists

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Wearing a smartwatch all of the time may potentially cause you some pain in the wrist.  This is because of the constant pressure exerted on the wrist when you wear your smartwatch constantly without ever taking it off.  So maybe it's a good idea to have breaks from wearing your smartwatch to ease the ache.

13. A complete inability to practice mindfulness

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So because you're always connected to the digital world, you're probably more easily distracted and therefore completely unable to practice mindfulness at all.  Being able to add some elements of mindfulness into your day is really beneficial for your wellbeing.

14. They might even contribute to a sedentary lifestyle

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Many people use their smartwatches to track their fitness, but the truth is, being tethered to any digital device can has been often found to cause you to have a more sedentary lifestyle.  And this can contribute to certain health concerns including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

15. Allergic reactions

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If you have particularly sensitive skin, or you are allergic to any of the materials that your smartwatch is made from, you could be at risk of developing some nasty skin complaints.  Even if you're not usually allergic to the materials, sweating underneath the strap can cause discomfort.

16. A culture of constant connectivity and instant gratification

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We live in a digital world and it is so fast-paced that technology has created a serious culture of constant connectivity and the desire for instant gratification.  And studies have found that this does us absolutely no good, particularly in terms of our mental health and well-being.

17. They might not be durable enough

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Depending on what activities you do, whether it's swimming, boxing, or cycling, you might find that you go through smartwatches like new pairs of socks!  They're just not durable enough to handle your activities and you might also find that they fail to record accurate data during your workouts.

18. The technology is outdated

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Like with any electronic device the technology in them becomes outdated before you've even got it home from the store.  And you're probably finding that you're constantly updating it, adding to your day-to-day stress, or constantly replacing it, which no one can afford.

19. They might be tracking you

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You know that there's tracking software on your smartwatch, right?  Well despite it being useful in tracking your steps, distance, and speed, have you ever thought about who else might see that data, and whether they could be monitoring your day-to-day movements?

20. They might share your personal information

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You never know, your smartwatch might not only be tracking you but it might also share your personal information too.  Or because it's on your wrist, you actually might unintentionally share something private and personal by mistake!  And if this thought is in your head, this might make you constantly check your device.

21. They might worsen your skin condition

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If you have an existing skin condition like eczema, psoriasis, or acne, you might be worsening it around your wrist by constantly wearing your smartwatch.  And this can become incredibly painful and uncomfortable.  So take it off now!  You'll thank us later!

22. You're constantly 'on call'

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Your watch buzzes all the time and like the old pagers from back in the day, it probably makes you feel like you're constantly 'on call' and expected to work with no boundaries.  This is going to really damage your work/life balance and no doubt negatively impact your mental health.

23. They contribute to burnout

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If you are always contactable and unable to sleep because of the blue light and notifications, you're going to probably suffer from 'burnout' sometime in the near future.  This can impact on everything in your life including your wellbeing, physical health, and productivity.

24. They may cause you more health problems than you think

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On top of all of the issues you might experience with electromagnetic radiation (apparently) and skin problems, you might also make your existing health issues worse.  Especially if they give you inaccurate data and you make health decisions based on false information!

25. They ruin your social life

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Communicating through a device might make you feel popular but it's probably going to make you a whole lot worse at socializing in real life.  You might rely on your device to communicate so much that any type of face-to-face interaction gives you anxiety and sends you into panic mode.

26. They might be hacked

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Like with any device that is connected to the web, to wifi, Bluetooth, or any other form of connectivity, it is just as vulnerable to being hacked.  This might cause you some slight inconvenience if your device stops working as it should or it might be more detrimental and completely break it or share private information.

27. They may contribute to paranoia

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If you have your device on constantly, you might think about how it tracks and monitors your movement, how it's vulnerable to hackers, whether it's sharing your private information, the potential radiation, and even the potential health risks.  So no wonder you're feeling paranoid about it.

28. They're terrible for your ability to retain and remember information

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If you're using your smartwatch as a calendar, an alarm, adding reminders to it, and so on, you're taking this from your brain and so your cognitive ability to retain and remember information might decrease.  You might rely on it so much that your cognitive ability declines quicker than it should as you age.

29. They take your freedom away

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Smartwatches have the potential to completely take away your freedom and make you feel like you simply HAVE to reply to everyone immediately.  Feeling forever tethered to your device and constantly 'on call' can really play havoc with your mental health and wellbeing and leave you feeling exhausted.

30. They're "digital clutter"

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We are already slaves to the digital world and we always find an excuse to log in and connect.  But do we need yet another electronic device in our collection that connects us with the world or can we just escape from logging in, at least when we don't have our phones on us?

31. Reasons to avoid smart tech altogether: it's so expensive to buy!

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If you want to set up a fully smart home, it's going to cost you a lot

of money right off the bat. Even if you bought one smart product, like your smart watch or one smart bulb, their individual prices are bad enough. You could spend that amount of money on something else to improve your home instead.

32. It can be bad for the environment

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So with smart products, you do get options to run your home more effectively, like smart thermostats helping you to turn down your heating and protect the environment. The problem is, the manufacturing of all those plastic smart goods is not good news for the environment.

33. You're going to be spending more money on running it all

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As well as the enormous initial cost of smart tech, it's also the running cost you have to think about. You'll be paying more for bills because you're running so many different things that need to be plugged in. Not to mention the cost if something needs repairing or replacing.

34. You're going to need better/more expensive WiFi

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If you're hoping to run all this smart technology, you're going to need a seamless connection to make everything communicate - as well as avoid buffering or error messages. This means you're also going to have spend money on getting the best and speedy internet connection.

35. More privacy issues

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The more devices you have connected to the internet that you need to put personal information into, the more at risk your privacy is. One smart item is enough for privacy issues - even just having internet is enough for privacy risk, of course - but a complete smart home is going to mean more privacy worries.

36. What happens when your internet isn't working?

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A smart technology home is a prime example of 'it's great when it's working, not so great when it isn't.' If you have a sudden drop of connection, or the internet in your area is down, how is your smart home going to function? You won't be able to use any of it!

37. Smart might not be the kind of smart you need

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Smart technology is impressive when it hits the mark, but there are many cases when it just doesn't. When you're asking your Echo or Alexa a question, it might not always hear you, understand you or know the answer. Certain devices might not work well together. There are many ways 'smart' isn't so smart.

38. More of a need for surge protection

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Surge protectors are recommended for expensive electrical items, but the need for them is going to increase even more when you have a ton of smart technology items. But if your whole home is outfitted with smart tech? Are you going to need surge protectors absolutely everywhere?

39. Setting it all up can be stressful

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Sometimes, getting one 'smart' piece up and running can take a while. You need to go through the rigmarole of the setup process, connect to the internet and create your settings. You then need to do this with every single smart item you purchase. And then? You need to collaborate them and link them up... Exhausting.

40. Changing the router or password is going to be a nightmare

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If your router is playing up or just needs replacing, it's simple enough to do - but this isn't going to be the problem. The issue is that all of your smart devices are linked to your old router - so getting a new one, or even just changing your WiFi password, is going to mean re-linking every single smart item.

41. Things become 'old' very quickly

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The thing with smart tech - or any technology - is that it's exciting and revolutionary when it's new, but it doesn't take very long for an 'updated' version to be released. So if you're having a fully smart home, you're going to have a lot of stuff that will have a 'newer and better' version released - meaning spend more money, or have an older-functioning setup.

42. Could your house's data be sold?

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We don't mean on the black market, but everything you choose through your smart devices - like the lighting you prefer, your home's temperature settings and anything else - is valuable information to the smart tech manufacturing companies, and it could be sold to advertisers.

43. Your devices can't always communicate

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The issue with having so many amazing smart device options is that you likely won't get them from the same company - and this means they're going to find it hard to 'talk' to each other, so it can be a bit of a jarring experience. The only alternative is to get every single smart item from the same company.

44. Manufacturers have the power to turn off old devices

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The issue with developing technology is that older models get left in the dust. Smart tech is still relatively new but old smart devices will eventually stop being supported when there are so many newer options out there. Think about all your old computers and phones.

45. You might have to suffer your tech's teething problems

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That doesn't mean there aren't issues with new tech, either. While old tech can lack support, new tech can still be on its training wheels - which means if you buy smart devices as soon as they come out, you might still be in that learning stage before they run out a couple of updates.

46. You're going to be less active

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One of the biggest conveniences of smart tech is that you can control everything from your phone or with your voice. You can dim lights from your couch, or turn everything on with a voice command. The issue is that you're more likely to stay sat down - all the time - because you've no reason to get up!

47. Walls can be a problem for connection

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If you have a couple of smart devices in your living room with the internet hub is placed, it isn't too much of a problem. But if you have a huge house with smart devices in every room, and they're far away from your command center or router, walls can cause problems with the seamless connections.

48. And the alternative of cables isn't much better

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Of course, the alternative to this is to use cables to get a super strong connection every time, no matter which room your device is in. But then this is like taking a step back from the appeals of smart tech - everything needs to be wired up and you'll have cables trailing everywhere!

49. You're depending on companies staying successful

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You don't have to worry too much about the huge companies like Google. But if you're using smaller brands for your smart home system, what would happen if - years down the line - they went out of business? Your entire home will depend on a company that no longer exists.

50. You have to depend on product support

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The more smart devices you have, the more of a risk you have of them breaking - and because it's likely to have lots of different items from different manufacturers, you have to go through a bunch of different product support services to get a solution or help with your problem. And it's not something you can fix yourself!