I've worn a smart watch for 4 yrs. At first I was on call and quick access to notifications was a huge bonus. Recently I've questioned its effect on me so today I switched back to a traditional watch as a test. This thread contains my observations.

1. I have checked my wrist frequently, sometimes only minutes apart, for notifications that aren't there. I almost never check to see the actual time.

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2. While writing the previous post I literally checked my analog wristwatch to see if there was a response to my first post yet.

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3. Despite looking at my watch, if you had asked me what time it was, I couldn't have told you.

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4. I find myself looking at my wrist in the dark, even though this watch doesn't have a backlight.

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5. This first day with an analog watch has already revealed to me just how much a smart watch has created subconscious, compulsive habits. It's unnerving to see tech rewire your brain like that.

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@kyle Also: people with smartwatches are telegraphing "you're boring, this is taking forever" to whoever they're in a conversation with every time they eye a notification.

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@alrs @kyle they do it also with common analogue watches (i.e. how much longer i need to listen for this ...)

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