Before understanding the impact of wearable technology on healthcare and security, it is very crucial to go back to the roots of the term itself. The word “wearable” simply means something that a human being can wear; like clothes, watches, or accessories that becomes a part of the body. The term “tech” is an abbreviation used for the word technology, meaning machines or devices that make our lives easier to deal with. So, technically wearable technology refers to those smart devices or gadgets which we wear casually on our body; such as smartwatches, fitness bands, or health trackers that help us to perform various tasks and monitor our daily lives.
Technology has travelled a very long journey. In ancient times, computers were kind of huge and heavy machines that occupied large spaces. With time, those giant computers were transformed into smaller desktops, and later into laptops, then tablets, and now even smartphones that fit perfectly in our palms. There’s something which we can note here, the more advanced technology becomes, the smaller and lighter it gets, yet more powerful. Likewise Wearable technology also follows this same path, where smart devices have become our personal assistants, helping us to stay healthy, secure, and connected with everyone around.
In the field of healthcare, wearable technology has brought a revolutionary change. Smartwatches and fitness bands can track heart rate, sleep patterns, blood pressure, and oxygen levels as well. Doctors can monitor patients minutely and remotely through these readings, which makes medical help faster and more efficient. For example, hospitals like the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins in the United States use wearable heart monitors to track patients after surgery. In India also we have applications like that of GOQii and Fitbit India which help doctors monitor blood sugar and pressure from far off distances. These devices have even proved to be helpful in preventing heart attacks by alerting people on time. In the United Kingdom, the NHS provides glucose sensors for diabetic patients to manage their sugar levels easily, and in Japan, companies use sleep tracking wearables to help workers maintain better a better mental health.
There are several other countries like UAE which promotes fitness challenges through wearables, and during COVID-19, Singapore had introduced the TraceTogether token to detect the virus exposure. So, we can clearly notice that from monitoring heartbeats to saving lives wearable technology has made healthcare personal, smart, and preventive.
In terms of security, wearable devices have become both a blessing and a concern in this contemporary generation. They assist in personal safety for instance, the Nirbhaya wearable project in India developed devices that send GPS alerts to police in times of emergencies. Similarly, Apple Watches can detect falls or accidents and contact emergency services. The Police officers in the United States and UK now use body cameras to ensure transparency and gather real time evidence, which helps to reduce misconduct and improves the quality public trust.
However, these same technologies raise several questions about data privacy and surveillance procedures. Devices that collect personal data; such as heartbeats, location, or track sleep habits can be hacked or misused in multiple ways. In 2018, a major Fitbit data breach in the United States exposed the health data of thousands of users. In Europe, strict GDPR laws were introduced after it was found that some companies were selling “anonymous” health data for their personal profits.
The workplace and the military forces also use wearables to monitor workers’ or soldiers’ health and movements respectively, but this raises ethical concerns. How much monitoring is too much? In China, factories have even begun using wearables to monitor workers’ brainwaves and concentration levels which is quite a frightening example of technology crossing the boundaries of human privacy. As Michel Foucault’s idea of “discipline and surveillance” suggests that, constant monitoring gives power to authority and takes away human freedom, which is absolutely not fair.
Beyond privacy, there are physical and mental side effects too. Tight straps and metal parts of wearables often cause skin irritation and excessive burns at times. People can become overdependent on these devices and start trusting their readings more than doctors. Meanwhile inaccurate data may lead to unnecessary anxiety. This “data anxiety” can make people feel pressured to be perfectly healthy all the time, which affects mental peace and becomes a cause of huge devastation.
The environmental impact cannot be ignored either. With millions of smartwatches and bands discarded every year, e-waste has become a global problem, especially in certain parts of India, Ghana, and China, where these devices end up in the open dumping grounds. The non-recyclable batteries and electronic parts contribute to pollution and harm ecosystems eventually.
Hence, while wearable technology has made our lives easier, smarter, and safer, it also carries the risk of over-surveillance, data theft, health stress, and various other environmental damages. Advancement is essential, but it should never become the reason for our downfall, we must be careful about this.
Wearable technology is indeed a gift of human intelligence but it must be used wisely and precisely. The balance between innovation and ethics, between progress and privacy, is what will decide whether this technology remains our helper or slowly turns into our master and we become it’s slaves.
Article by Sruti Bhaumik