Must I wear this tech

Questioning the intent and purpose of computerizing our bodies.

Not satisfied with just gracing our pockets and palms, technology is now making a play for our eyes and wrist. Products like glasses and watches are poised to continue our ongoing cyborgification process. But as we recover from the last technological shock to our way of life, can we truly say that we are prepared for the next one?

The utility and novelty of such tools can’t be denied. Saving those 2-3 seconds to access our ecosystem of choice will be helpful. It’s less likely that these tools will be lost, dropped, or stolen. Pocket space can be reclaimed for other things. And now our hands can be free to swim while drowning in more information we can handle.

But call me skeptical about the ability of these new tools to be as disruptive and widely used as our current ones. Watches have always been better at making statements than telling time. And what’s the point of having 20/20 vision if I have to wear these glasses all the time? Fashionology just feels uncomfortable, and leaves me to wonder if I am destined to be a walking spokesman for big tech companies that claim my body with their mass-produced toys?

But it goes deeper than that. As people, we need to ask ourselves how accessible these ecosystems need to be. Do I need more updates, apps, and notifications? Here I was thinking good design was supposed to be invisible. But these tools are inherently harder to put away. Glasses and watches just don’t fit into my pocket like my phone. They will stay fixated on my body, acting as permanent reminders that the present moment just isn’t good enough.

The time may come where I end up at a social and economic disadvantage for not attaching these tools to myself. But before such a time occurs, it’s imperative to ask if it’s really necessary. Because what we wear speaks to how we live, and wearing technology speaks to how we can’t live without it.