Smartwatches and other wearable devices can feel almost magical. Strap on a Fitbit, Apple Watch or Samsung Gear and you\u2019re suddenly presented with a stream of data generated by \u2013 and about \u2013 your body: step counts, heart rate, blood oxygen level, calories burned and more.<\/p>\n
Wearables offer tools that help people monitor and understand their bodies and, so the promise goes, improve their lives<\/a>. Apple CEO Tim Cook has even said the technology company aspires to save your life<\/a>. <\/p>\n As a professor who studies technology<\/a>, I\u2019ve spent the past decade researching smartwatches and other wearables. My new book, \u201cBringers of Order: Wearable Technologies and the Manufacturing of Everyday Life<\/a>,\u201d considers the gap between what these products promise and what they actually do.<\/p>\n Wearables rely on complicated sets of sensors and computer systems to create data for each user. As these devices become more common \u2013 and more complex \u2013 I worry that people may be tempted to think less about how they work. As a result, they might accept data at face value without considering how it was generated, whether it\u2019s accurate, or even if it could put them at risk.<\/p>\n So to get the maximum value from wearable technologies, it\u2019s worth reflecting on the differences between what these devices seem to do and what\u2019s actually happening behind the screen. Here are a few key points to remember.<\/p>\n 1. Steps aren\u2019t really steps<\/p>\n Wearable fitness trackers gained popularity in the early 2010s for their ability to count steps and measure things such as distance, calories burned and flights of stairs climbed. While it\u2019s tempting to think so-called step counts reflect the number of times a wearer\u2019s feet have completed the action of taking a step, that is not the case. <\/p>\n In reality, a combination of sensors and algorithms work together to produce a data point called \u201ca step<\/a>.\u201d In most instances, something called an accelerometer measures change in the wearable\u2019s velocity. This is checked against an algorithm, which provides an automatic assessment of whether enough velocity has been reached to count as a step. These components measure how much the wearable moves, not the person. Shaking one\u2019s wrist very quickly can sometimes create a \u201cstep,\u201d while walking in place might not count steps.<\/p>\n 2. Some skin tones don\u2019t \u2018work\u2019 as well as others<\/p>\n Blood oxygen sensors have become incorporated into many smartwatches. They use a process called photoplethysmography<\/a>, which uses tiny green LED lights on the underside of a smartwatch to track how blood flows through your wrist. <\/p>\n In 2022, a lawsuit alleged Apple was perpetuating racial bias<\/a>, as its blood oxygen sensors didn\u2019t work as well on darker skin. The case was dismissed, partly because these limitations of blood oxygen sensors have been known to researchers and medical practitioners for years<\/a>. In other words, it is accepted that some features will not work as well for some people. <\/p>\n 3. Your location may not be a secret<\/p>\n There\u2019s an entire industry made up of people called data brokers<\/a> who buy large datasets from technology companies and then sell them to advertisers, market analysts or other groups that may be interested in acquiring them. <\/p>\n While some companies have taken more steps to reduce or eliminate the sharing of data with third parties<\/a>, and government agencies have offered strategies for users to limit location sharing<\/a>, others may still share data<\/a> among affiliates and service providers. <\/p>\n It\u2019s important to check all settings for options to reduce or eliminate data sharing. Otherwise, your private information might not remain private for long. In 2018, for example, the exercise app Strava released a \u201cheat map\u201d showing the running and cycling routes of all its users through the location data it had collected \u2013 and accidentally disclosed the location of multiple secret military bases around the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n 4. Wearables for consumers aren\u2019t medical grade<\/p>\n With wearables, as with other tech, it\u2019s important to look carefully at the terms of use<\/a>. <\/p>\n Most devices include boilerplate language about how the data they provide the wearer should be used recreationally and not replace formal diagnostics from doctors<\/a>. Even though Apple has received FDA clearance for some of its health testing features<\/a> and they may be quite useful for monitoring purposes, if you\u2019re relying on data for health purposes, it\u2019s important to consult a doctor.<\/p>\n 5. Wearables can\u2019t predict the future<\/p>\n OK, maybe this seems like it should be obvious. But it\u2019s not. <\/p>\n Oura Ring, which pioneered measurements such as \u201crestfulness\u201d<\/a> that try to measure how well you sleep, recently added a \u201csymptom radar\u201d<\/a> to try to detect when you might be getting sick.<\/p>\n These technologies use sensors such as heart rate monitors and thermometers to detect changes in a wearer\u2019s baseline. While these sickness forecasts may be helpful, they\u2019re like weather reports for the body, detecting changes in the body\u2019s internal atmosphere using available sensors and algorithms. Any claim to predict the future is based on looking for patterns in information from the past.<\/p>\n While wearable tech can offer powerful insights, understanding how devices work is crucial for making sense of the data they produce. A little skepticism goes a long way: It can challenge inflated promises and protect users. In the end, wearables are best understood as interesting but imperfect tools \u2212 not magic wands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Smartwatches and other wearable devices can feel almost magical. 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