When it comes to health and fitness, wearable technologies are most notorious. Commonly in the form of wrist computers such as watches and trackers, these devices make it easier for individuals to track and monitor their physical behaviours (Hänsel et al. 2015). Physical activities such as steps taken, workout intensity, calories burned, and heartbeats can be monitored and recorded when wearing the device. Thus, improving efficiency and productivity through physical workouts and exercise, these devices can enhance health related outcomes (Lunney et al. 2016). Stated by the American Journal of Medicine, these wearables do not necessarily improve health when worn, however, it does increase motivation for more regular exercises and workouts (Zickl 2019).
Community perceptions of these wearable fitness technologies are highly more positive than negative. Demands for these devices have exponentially increased over the past years, as these technologies continue to evolve and adapt. In particular, fitness trackers such as Apple Watches, FitBits, and Samsung Galaxy Fit, just to name a few; are all devices that are highly efficient in enhancing physical activity. When ensuring and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with the right amount of exercise, food, or sleep, fitness computers can do more. Not only monitoring physical activities, but these trackers can also provide reminders, food (calories) and water intake, sleep schedules, and daily goals (Fox 2019).
When it comes to negatives, the list is very limited. To emphasise, the benefits and positives of fitness technologies practically outweigh its negatives. Most common in high end and emerging technologies nowadays is the price. Products such as Apple Watches usually sell for around $400AUD to $700AUD depending on the size, storage, etc. Like every form of portable technology, battery life can be underwhelming for these technologies due to small battery storage. Since fitness trackers are a form of technology that is operated by metrics and movements of the human body, results can sometimes be inaccurate, especially if the product is cheap and low in quality (Fox 2019). As an innovative technology released this decade, fitness computers will continue to evolve and enhance fitness activities. Making it one of today’s top technologies for health and fitness, it may become beneficial and essential for the future of self-care.
In the workplace, wearable technology can increase employee's wellbeing, productivity, and safety. As businesses and companies across many industries tend to improve efficiency and productivity in the workplace, the allowance/implementation of wearable technologies may fulfill the solution (Nicastro 2018).
Generally, in industries such as retail, employees can efficiently look up prices of products for customers on the spot with wearable devices (Creighton 2018). In industries where manual labour is required, health and safety should be a priority. Especially in car manufacturing and construction industries where the worker was tasked with constant over the top tasks, wearable exoskeleton technologies would be worn to prevent joint and muscle damage. For example, Audi has incorporated exoskeleton suits for its workers to prevent various injuries when manufacturing their cars (‘Audi Rolls out Exoskeleton Suit in Its Production Facilities’ 2017).
Not only in industrial industries, however, but rather in office environments, employees can get notified about their health if they have sitting continuously for hours, bad posture, etc. (Creighton 2018). With businesses constantly trying to adapt newer technologies, wearable computers would be a great solution as it prompts for a more efficient, productive, and healthy workplace.
Considering the workplace as a professional setting to act formal and maintain concentration, distractions may occur with the addition of wearable technology. Like any form of technology nowadays, they can be considered a distraction. With specific technologies such as Apple Watches and Samsung Galaxy Watches being connected to the IoT, distractions such as browsing the internet, games, texting, can usually occur. Otherwise, one common issue that emerges surrounding these wearables is security and privacy concerns. As a business, the business must have cloud-based security solutions to avoid data being hijacked or hacked (Coon 2015). With wearables being connected to the internet at times with little to no security options, it forges a vulnerability that can be exploited (Creighton 2018). However, despite security and privacy issues that can be overcome, the positives of wearable computers are too beneficial to skip out.