Are You Secretly Addicted to Your Smartwatch? The Hidden Truth Behind Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch Obsessions
Picture this: You're standing on the starting line of a chilly Saturday morning 5km parkrun, heart pounding with excitement as fellow runners shuffle impatiently, ready to bolt at the beep. You do a quick hip wiggle, brace yourself... but wait! You can't start just yet. You glance down, fiddling with your Garmin watch, ensuring the GPS is locked in. The runner next to you is doing the same. The person behind lets out a frustrated tut. Finally, it's set—let's go! In that chaotic dash, it's impossible to miss how many wrists are adorned with glowing screens. And it's not just us athletes; smartwatches have exploded into a massive, multi-billion-dollar market. Brands like Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Garmin, Huawei Watch, and Google's Fitbit offer endless options for every budget and lifestyle, with prices stretching from around £100 up to several thousand pounds, depending on the tech-packed features.
But here's where it gets controversial: Are these devices our loyal companions or sneaky stressors that keep us glued to our own data?
"It drives me crazy—I can't seem to switch it off," one user confessed. "It comforts me, like a supportive buddy," another said. "Stop nagging me about my lousy sleep!" chimed in a third. When I polled smartwatch owners, opinions varied wildly. My own thoughts? Right now, it's pure annoyance—my watch is incessantly reminding me I'm lagging behind pace, and I'm paranoid the overhanging trees are messing with my GPS signal.
Millions of us wear these trackers around the clock, embracing the constant surveillance without a second thought. Remember when smartwatches were just for counting steps? Now, they dive deep into our sleep patterns, blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV—that's the measure of how your heart's rhythm changes, which can indicate stress levels or recovery), blood oxygen, even glucose levels and VO2 max (your body's maximum oxygen utilization during exercise, a key fitness metric). Honestly, it's tough to think of a bodily function they don't monitor.
Yet, this raises big questions: Do these gadgets deliver on their promises? Is the data they spit out a true mirror of our health? And crucially, do they boost our mental and physical wellbeing, or do the endless notifications and metrics just pile on unwanted pressure? (For more on wellbeing impacts, check out this related piece: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c79zpzdv4vno)
Take Rachael Fairclough from St Helens in Merseyside. "I get a little obsessed with mine," she admits. While she cherishes how her Apple Watch logs her running sessions, some features feel overwhelming—especially during pregnancy. Before switching to pregnancy mode, the watch kept scolding her for not being productive enough. Now, with a six-month-old baby, it won't stop harping on about poor sleep. "I've got a newborn; I don't need a reminder that I'm exhausted," Rachael laughs. "I know it all too well." Could she just remove it? "Sure, but I have this complicated love-hate thing going on. I adore the fitness insights, but I'm starting to wonder if all the extras are just too much."
And this is the part most people miss: How exactly do these watches gather and interpret our data?
Each brand employs unique methods, but most rely on sensors on the watch's back. These shine harmless green LED lights into your skin to detect blood flow and pulse. Advanced models even sense electrical changes in the skin for stress readings. It's fascinating tech, but as Professor Niels Peek from the University of Manchester's Department of Data Science points out, it's a delicate balancing act. On one hand, these evolving devices could be lifesavers, spotting diseases before symptoms appear—like through electrocardiograms (ECGs) that track heart health and alert users to atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular heartbeat that might signal risks for stroke or clots (though it's not a direct heart attack indicator).
On the flip side, Prof. Peek worries about the "worried well"—people who become unnecessarily anxious from all this info. "As more features pile on, users might not grasp their data fully," he warns. "I'm not sure monitoring everything is always a great idea." Clinical psychologist and cardiology professor Lindsey Rosman echoes this in her research on cardiovascular patients. In a small study (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.123.033750), 20% of participants felt heightened anxiety from wearables, leading to more doctor visits. She describes a vicious cycle: Spot a concerning number, get stressed, check again, see your heart rate spike, stress more—it's a self-fulfilling anxiety loop. "When we see stats we don't understand, we dig deeper," Prof. Rosman explains. "It turns into a prophecy we can't escape."
But not everyone spirals this way. Mark Morton, a 43-year-old vet from Cheshire with two kids, has a healthier rapport with his Whoop tracker on his arm. "It's not transforming me into an Olympian," he says, "but it's gotten me seriously thinking about my health." His device summarizes his sleep nightly, prompting changes like ditching evening beers for better quality rest. Now he uses a sleep mask, keeps his room cool, and skips late-night snacks—all leading to waking up refreshed, backed by data. "It's flipped my whole approach to sleep," he shares.
Back at my parkrun, I've sped up, but my legs are burning and that hill looms ahead. I check my watch again—who's chatting about pace? Not now! My umpteenth glance: Is this data trustworthy?
"Accuracy depends on what you mean," clarifies Dr. Kelly Bowden-Davies, a senior lecturer in Sport and Exercise Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University. These aren't lab-grade tools; they won't nail exact speed or pace every time. GPS glitches, wrist movements, and other factors skew results. Without medical regulation, they don't offer a full health snapshot. Yet, they provide a personal benchmark. "It might not be pinpoint precise, but it's tailored to you," she says. "Track progress in speed, sleep, or calories—it's invaluable for self-comparison." And let's not forget the social fun: Competing with friends adds motivation!
I finish my parkrun in 22 minutes and 28 seconds—not a record, but I'm thrilled with my final kick. Time to dive into the data!
Kristian Johnson/BBC
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What do you think? Are smartwatches empowering us or creating unnecessary worry? Do you find yourself checking yours obsessively, or has it genuinely improved your health habits? Share your stories in the comments—do you agree with the experts that the benefits outweigh the risks, or is it time to ditch the constant tracking? Let's discuss!
