This article analyzes the public’s reaction to the rise of smartwatches and related technological advancements, pointing out that innovative technology can lead to fatigue and apathy if it doesn’t actually meet users’ needs.
The rise of smartwatches – between expectations and disappointments!
The advent of smart watches, or rather, smart watches, signaled the arrival of the era of wearable electronic devices that can be worn on the body. The excitement and anticipation of living smarter, straight out of a science fiction movie, had early adopters all over the world on their feet. As the technology has evolved, smartwatches have become more than just a way to tell the time, they’ve become a revolutionary device that has become embedded in our daily lives. It was a promise to bring a new level of convenience to users, and it also represented a commitment by companies to revolutionize the way we live.
Smartwatches have become voice-activated, allowing us to compose and send messages while walking, and mobile payments based on NFC (Near Field Communication), a wireless communication method that allows us to make payments without taking out our wallets. And when you’re exercising, it can tell you your speed and distance traveled, your current location and altitude, and even measure your heart rate in real time on your wrist to give you appropriate health advice. Companies are trying to convince you that smartwatches can help you live this life, and they’re doing it with a lot of lure. Articles and columns have been written about the utopian prospect of smartwatches. The promise of a new world made possible by technological advancements has naturally swayed consumers.
But even though the smartwatch market has been around for more than 20 years, the general public, outside of enthusiastic early adopters, hasn’t yet shown much appetite. IDC analyst Kevin Restivo said that smartwatches are still a very new concept to the public and have not gained much traction or traction in the innovation phase of the technology. In addition to technological perfection, the key to public acceptance of smartwatches will be the question of what value they can actually add to a user’s daily life. Despite boasting innovative features, are smartwatches actually providing real convenience to the public?
The irony of innovation, the main battleground of technology development!
Why hasn’t the public gotten excited about smartwatches, which many companies have touted as the next big thing? The answer can be found in the recently declining display market. While research into higher resolution TV screen display technologies is still ongoing, people don’t feel the need to ditch what they have and consume a sharper display. In fact, it’s been pointed out that further improvements in sharpness are beyond what the human eye can perceive. The 3D TVs that have followed have been heavily advertised, but have failed to convince the public of the need to have a 3D screen in their homes, and sales have been slow. The same goes for the new curved phones. No matter how advanced the technology is, the public has yet to see the convenience and superiority of curved screens over flat ones.
Research and development of technology should be driven by the needs of the public. However, in a rapidly changing technological society, companies are currently developing technology for the sake of developing technology, and continue to develop for the sake of development. They have already produced results and are trying to rationalize them by inserting the public’s needs into the results. It’s impossible to get the public to sympathize with a technology development that is so preachy. This is the irony of technological innovation in modern society. It’s like an adventurer who sets out to explore without a purpose. Traveling without a map can be exciting, but without a destination, it’s exhausting.
Tired masses
The utopian outlook of newly developed technologies is often nothing more than a self-justifying rationale for companies. Technological advancements that don’t meet the needs of the public are overwhelming. Even if NFC-based mobile payments and voice-activated messaging are possible, they are useless to the uninformed public. The process of spending money on technology they don’t need, learning to use it, and then using it feels overwhelming. This is evidenced by the fact that many consumers do not utilize all the features of smartwatches even after purchasing them. In order for technology to become part of our daily lives, we need to think about the user experience and its impact on real life, not just a list of features.
Overwhelmed by unconvincing technological advances, the public is no longer responsive to change and becomes increasingly alienated, resulting in fatigue. A tired public that doesn’t feel the need to learn, keep up with, and use new technologies soon rejects and turns away from them. The fatigue of technology overload is expressed in apathy towards technology. It’s similar to how modern people get tired of constantly updated smartphone applications and end up using only basic functions. As Jack Gold, an analyst at J.Gold Associates, said “There’s not a single smartwatch feature that you can’t do with your existing electronic devices. You can just pull your phone or tablet out of your pocket, so is a smartwatch really that necessary?”
Before blaming the public’s apathy, companies should consider whether the technological advances in smartwatches are really starting with the public. People are not persuaded simply because a technology is new and innovative. They’re only interested when it solves a pain point or fulfills a need, otherwise, no matter how smart a machine is, it’s just a burden, and it’s tiring.
The future of smartwatches: practicality is key
For smartwatches to be truly loved by the masses, it’s no longer enough for them to be technologically superior. What people want is a practical device that they can actually use in their daily lives. For smartwatches to be truly useful, they need to offer features and user-friendly interfaces that blend seamlessly into each user’s life. For example, smartwatches as a tool to manage daily health, provide real-time information, and increase work efficiency will be truly valuable to consumers.
Furthermore, the continued development of smartwatches will require the development of customized services and features that actively reflect public opinion. Thinking deeply about what consumers need and actively accepting their feedback will be the key to successful technological innovation. Otherwise, smartwatches may become just another failed innovation.
