How the Apple Watch “Almost” Ruined My Life
One of the most unbelievable things happened at work last year. I shattered all historic records for generating attendees for our annual user conference. The maximum number of registrations someone had gotten in the previous years was around 20 or 25. I single-handedly bagged 53.
The Marketing Team was highly impressed by my efforts. So much so that the Head of Marketing decided to come to our floor by himself and gift me something that would change my life forever (or at least try to) — An Apple Watch Series 4.
I’d initially thought of selling it on eBay and paying my rent from the money I get. But a colleague suggested otherwise. She told me that it’s much more than a watch — it’s a memento — a reward — something which has a story attached to it — something which I should treasure.
Heeding her advice, I started using it. Within a couple of days, I got hooked. And in a week’s time, I was accustomed to wearing it all day. The watch let me answer phone calls, book an uber, play music, check music, monitor heart rate and a bunch of other stuff I was discovering every single day.
It was uber cool. Until, it was not!
I Became Massively Cautious
All my life, I have been a miser when it comes to purchasing gadgets. My laptop costs 15 grand. The most expensive gadget I’ve bought in my life is my iPhone 6s; that too when I was drunk and tricked into buying by my flatmates.
Having said that, carrying a watch worth 55 grand on my wrist was ridiculously scary. I started taking the elevator; for I thought my watch might hit the stair railings and break into two.
I stopped making any sudden hand movements or gestures; for I could not afford to skid my watch against a random object and get it scratched. I wore it way too tight for I feared that either it’s fall off my wrist or someone might just snatch it away.
My newly gifted treasure was taking a small place on my wrist, but an enormous one inside my head. I noticed myself being more anxious than usual whenever I was wearing the watch.
The Alerts Took Away My Mind Space
I’ve been an athlete all my life. So it was not surprising that I found the 3 exercise rings to be the most intriguing and exciting feature on the watch.
I thought — “What gets measured, gets managed. If I am able to manage each ring, I will be able to get myself back in a perfect body shape” — something which I have failed to do since the past 7 years of corporate life.
I believed I could have a full body transformation with my apple watch. In all honesty, I was doing pretty well as well in the beginning. But then, something weird happened.
Whenever I was sitting idle, in deep thought, my watch vibrated. It said — “ — “Check Your Rings”. 3 words that would put me under massive amount of guilt. 3 words that were enough to remind me that I hadn’t moved much and was nowhere close to closing my rings that day.
The notifications were simply endless. It would tell me to “breathe”. It would alert me of incoming messages on my phone. It would even appreciate me when I completed an exercise.
My Apple Watch was obsessed with me; much more than I was with it.
I saw it creating a space of its own inside my head — diverting my attention every once in a while from other things that mattered more.
It Popped up Photos From My Past
I still haven’t deleted snaps from my past relationships from the cloud. Although I haven’t looked at them since a while, it’s good to have the option of viewing them whenever/if I want to.
I was happy this way. Till the Apple Watch did its thing again.
One particular watch-face helps you sync your pictures with the watch. What the face does it that it’d bring up a new picture from the cloud, whenever you tilt your wrist to look at the time.
It was fun in the beginning. Looking at pictures from my past in no particular order every time I wanted to see the time. Until the day, my ex-girlfriend suddenly popped up at 3:16 PM.
I could not help but think about her all day. The next day, I another memory popped up which I’d completely forgotten about.
I soon disabled this face from the watch; for I could not sleep thinking about these memories in the night.
It was Time that We had the “Talk”
In a month’s time, I had come to terms with the harsh reality — wearing my Apple watch was akin to dating a Control Freak. It told me to stand. To breathe. To move. To check my heart rate. To reply to my messages.
It was also a Health Freak — for it would never shy away from embarrassing me when I wouldn’t do all these things. “Check Your Rings. They’re way off their regular mark” it’d say.
I noticed it was turning me into someone I was not. Someone I did not even want to be. The watch wanted to turn me into its own kind — a device — a gadget — a robot — a machine — which moves, breathes and poops the right amount at the tight time.
I decided it was “Time” we had the “Talk”.
“ Watchy! We won’t be able to see each other like we used to earlier. With you tied to me all the time, I am less of myself and much more of you. I want my life back, so we must part ways.
Although I promise I’d continue to keep seeing you from “time” to “time”. We’ll meet every single day, but only for a few hours, where you can fulfil my needs and I can live up to your expectations.
We cannot stay together forever like we used to earlier. And this would bring peace to both our lives. I hope you understand why I’m doing this. I’ll miss you when you’re not around (my wrist)”
