Am I Hooked on This Wearable Device?

A sense of feeling of anticipation. Apparent is the chilled vapour coming from my rivals as they execute the "about to run" shuffle on the start line.

A rapid movement of the hips.

I'm participating in my local weekly parkrun event and I'm focused. Three, two, one...

Oh, hang on. I must sort my device. So does the guy alongside me.

The person in the line tuts. I won't start until… there! GPS ready, and I'm running.

Amidst the crowd, it's difficult to spot a person without a wearable on it. And this isn't only us runners who rely on them.

It's a booming, multi-billion pound industry. Companies like Samsung Galaxy lead the market, each with an extensive selection of various versions to fit a variety of lifestyles. Depending on how high tech the watch you go for, price tags can vary between a hundred pounds to thousands of pounds.

"I find it infuriating, it's impossible to relax."

"It comforts me… It acts as a friend supporting me."

"Stop telling me I've had a restless night."

Just some of the responses people have shared from fellow tracker enthusiasts when I inquire what they feel about theirs.

The Data Dilemma

My current opinion on my own device? Currently, annoying. It's indicating I'm off pace, causing me to question whether the trees I'm passing under are blocking my satellite signal.

A vast number of us strap these small devices onto our arms and keep them on constantly, seemingly unconcerned with the fact they're perpetually monitoring us.

Long past are the days when we used them solely to give us an rough count of our step count. Today, they can analyse our sleep patterns, stress levels, oxygen saturation, our recovery score.

It's a challenge to find a bodily function they aren't designed to measure.

But can they do what they advertise? And are the numbers we analyse a true reflection of our actual health? Do they enhance our overall health, or do the multitude of readings and constant notifications just contribute to our daily stresses?

A Complicated Bond

"I find myself getting a quite preoccupied with mine," an individual admits.

While she loves how her device monitors her workouts, she finds some of its other capabilities "overwhelming" at times - a feeling that became apparent during a significant period.

Prior to discovering she could change its configuration, her smartwatch kept telling her she was failing to be active enough. Now, the watch insists her she's had a restless night.

"I've got a infant, I don't need to be notified I'm tired," she says. "I'm acutely aware only too well."

Is it not possible to just take it off?

"I suppose I could, perhaps, but I've got this complicated dynamic with it," she continues. "I appreciate it for its fitness insights, I just wonder whether all the other things it can now do is possibly excessive for me."

The Technology Behind the Tracking

Different brands of smartwatch has its own unique way of monitoring your vitals and interpreting your data, but the majority use optical sensors on the reverse of the watch.

They usually shine small, green LED lights onto your arm which can observe blood flow, recording your pulse rate. Higher-end devices measure changes in the electrical current that runs through the skin to assess your recovery state.

Expert Perspectives

One expert says that for most people for smartwatches, it's a "fine balance" - while the continuously improving tech could actually aid early diagnosis, "detecting disease before we show symptoms", it could also turn us device users into the "worried well".

He points out that some of the latest wearables can carry out tests like electrocardiograms (ECGs), which regularly monitor how normal the heart is. They can flag if someone is experiencing a heart arrhythmia, where there is abnormal signals in the heart causing an irregular heartbeat.

This does not necessarily indicate someone is imminently going to suffer a heart attack, but it can give an early warning they might be more at risk of a heart problem in the years to come.

But how to understand these readings is complex. The expert worries that as additional features are incorporated, people may struggle to fully comprehend their data.

"I remain sceptical that being able to monitor so much data is such a beneficial thing," he says.

A professor studying cardiology echoes this sentiment. Her work into the impact of wearable tech on a cohort of individuals with health issues suggested a noticeable percentage of those who were given devices to monitor their condition experienced heightened worry and were "far more likely to use medical services".

She noted a cycle with her patients - they spotted a alarming metric on their watch. They felt anxious. Their pulse went up. They got increasingly anxious. They checked again, and their heart rate rose further.

"When people are presented with data about ourselves that we don't really understand then, understandably, we are going to seek clarification," the psychologist says. "We check, we obsess - it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."