Smartwatches have become one of the most popular types of watches. Whether you’ve just bought your first smartwatch or are thinking about getting one, you may be wondering whether these devices are safe.
There are lots of benefits associated with wearable technology that can help you in lots of ways, but there is some confusion about them and what health problems they might cause.
As wearable technology becomes better integrated into everyday life, people are asking “is it safe to wear smartwatches”? In this article, we will try to answer this important question.
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Are smartwatches safe to wear?
That’s a question many people have been asking after news reports of health problems for wearers of the Apple Watch and other models.
Allergies Due to Smartwatches
If you’ve ever suffered from an allergic reaction to jewellery, you might wonder if a smartwatch would leave you with the same symptoms.
Or maybe you’re thinking about getting a watch but are worried that your skin might break out or become irritated.
What is making people worry about smartwatches? A recent report by The New York Times highlighted health issues that some people who wear the Apple Watch and similar devices have suffered.
While the exact cause isn’t clear, it’s possible that the nickel found in many metals could be triggering reactions. These side effects rise the question- Is wearing a smartwatch dangerous for health?
Nickel allergies are common among adults, so if you’re one of them, it might be best to avoid wearing smartwatches- and any other jewellery- altogether while your skin heals and testing is done to determine what’s causing your allergy.
Nickel-free watches are also available (and becoming more common), so look for those if you think something, in particular, may be triggering your skin problems.
If one brand makes a watch without nickel and another has it, why not just go with the one that doesn’t contain this metal?
Radiations by Smartwatches
Another concern regarding the safety of smartwatches is the radiation. Do smartwatches cause radiation?
In a study led by Dr Kun Huang at the University of California, San Francisco, it was found that a smartwatch emitted more radiation than a cell phone when held against the head during a call.
It was first believed that the higher SARs were due to its higher transmission power and its smaller antenna. These radiations are a by-product of the smartwatch’s work.
The study however showed that when an identical smartwatch was used with both the watch placed on top of the phone and vice versa, the SAR values were identical to each other.
This indicates that SAR values are largely dependent on device design rather than transmission power or distance from the transmitter.
The increased SAR is most likely due to its better sensitivity in capturing radiation as compared to cell phones. Larger devices usually have more radiation absorption capacity due to their larger surface area.
But how much radiation do smartwatches emit? It is expected that the SAR for smartwatches will increase as a result of their larger screens and battery life.
Devices with larger screens have more surface area than devices with smaller screens, so more radiation can be absorbed by these devices.
This means that if you’re planning on buying a smartwatch, it would be best to choose the device with a smaller screen size.
Are smartwatches safe for your health?
Smartwatch has been around for a long time, and there are many of them on the market. They have the same functions as other smart devices such as smartphones, tablets, and so on.
They can help you make calls, play music, show email, social media feeds and other notification messages. You may think that wearing a smartwatch can help you to monitor your health better because everything is on one device.
However, you should know that there is a debate about its safety. Some people say that it’s not good for your body while others think otherwise.
So what should be your choice? Some doctors believe that it can cause harm to the human body because we’re so accustomed to using our phones that we would want to check them all the time.
We are used to taking out our phones from our pockets or bags just to check messages or notifications from different apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on.
With the introduction of smartwatches, people will not only use their phone but also their watch to get notified messages from different apps.
If you wear it every day, this habit will become worse and worse until you’re addicted to checking notifications from different apps on your watch or phone all the time.
However, there is no evidence to prove that the smartwatch causes cancer in human beings at present. It is still advisable for people to cut back on their usage of these small devices as long as possible.
Smartwatch privacy concerns
Smartwatches hold a lot of personal information. It can hold all sorts of sensitive data about your life – passwords, credit card information and more.
The privacy issues will be a major challenge in the coming years as many smartwatch companies will introduce payment services with it.
Experts say you should safeguard against hackers and other threats by enabling encryption on your smartwatch and keeping its software up to date.
The problem today is that they require you to have a smartphone nearby to sync your data. This makes you vulnerable or prone to data theft if your phone gets stolen or lost and there’s no backup option on your watch.
Here are some tips to consider when purchasing a smartwatch:
1. Find out if the smartwatch is compatible with your phone or tablet. You want to make sure that the application you want to use will be available on your device before you buy one.
2. Make sure that the smartwatch has an anti-virus and firewall system in place.
3. Take a look at the smartwatch’s reviews and customer feedback online. This way, you’ll know what other customers think about their experience with the device and whether they’ve had any problems with it.
Is it bad to wear your watch while sleeping?
A smartwatch is a great way to stay connected to emails, texts and other notifications without having to keep your phone at hand all the time.
But how safe are these devices for sleeping? Can you sleep with a smartwatch on?
Tests have shown that these devices can track your sleep, wake you up and even monitor your heart rate while you rest.
But special precautions need to be taken if you plan on wearing yours overnight.
Smartwatches are relatively new devices and their long-term effects on your body are still unknown. With that in mind, it’s best to err on the side of caution when using them overnight.
You can remove the watch from your wrist and place it on a table or nightstand. The screen will be dark, but the device will remain connected to your phone over Bluetooth.
As long as the connection between the two devices isn’t broken, Google Now will continue to work throughout the night by receiving notifications that you can view when you wake up in the morning.
Conclusion
Much is at stake with the advent of smartwatches. Not only are there substantial improvements being made to physical health, but mental health is also coming into play.
Matters of addiction to technology and how it affects people are on researchers’ radar. There are still many improvements on the horizon with regards to these devices, and overall we think they will prove to be a positive addition to society.
