Do smart watches change communication styles?

[Anonymous]

I have had 3 different friends who were frequent communicators/responders all stop being responsive once they got a smartwatch. It’s baffling to me because when I’m actually with them; they’re looking at it all the time because they’re constantly getting alerts, so it’s not that they’re putting devices away and becoming low tech, it’s the opposite. Now when I text them; instead of getting back to me within an hour or two or on the same day or next day like they used to, it’s a few days later, a week later, or just not at all. And before the DCUM tribe comes at me with pitchforks—no I’m not jealous that they have one, and no I’m not the type to demand quick responses and get angry when I don’t get them. I’m not a needy friend. They were just one type of communicator before and a different type after. Has anyone else noticed this pattern in your friends/relatives who got smart watches? Have you noticed this of yourself if you got a smart watch? I know 3 is not a huge sample size, so I’m wondering if this has been a thing others have noticed?

[Anonymous]

I have a smart watch and I hate typing out responses on it. The voice to text is not reliable. So if very important I might respond from it but otherwise do not. I also frequently don’t get alerted to texts that are sent even though it’s supposed to alert me. So I often miss them. When you are a busy person running after kids etc, it is easy to read a text and if you don’t respond immediately, to forget about it and not respond later even if that was your intent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a smart watch and I hate typing out responses on it. The voice to text is not reliable. So if very important I might respond from it but otherwise do not. I also frequently don’t get alerted to texts that are sent even though it’s supposed to alert me. So I often miss them. When you are a busy person running after kids etc, it is easy to read a text and if you don’t respond immediately, to forget about it and not respond later even if that was your intent.

I get it that you’re busy, so am I, and so were they before they got the smart watches, but they used to respond and now they don’t respond. They’re not more busy, they’re less responsive. And my friends did not always text back immediately, it may have been an hour later or a few hours or the next day. But now…it’s a week or more. Is it because they don’t get alerts? They have no idea that I texted? That’s good to know. I was going under the assumption that they were getting alerts constantly. If they’re not seeing that I texted at all then it makes sense why they aren’t writing back. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

Always been succinct, huh?

[Anonymous]

no. I don't see any connection. A smart watch is good for alerting to texts but I don't remember ever responding to one using the watch. Maybe once or twice with on-word answers. It does work well for answering calls and talking but I don't see any connection in having one and not getting back to people at an appropriate time. You are really stretching here and speculating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No.

Always been succinct, huh?

DP. That message was 33% larger than it should have been. Feel special?

[Anonymous]

Part of the reason I i haven't gotten a smart watch is that I figured I'd see the alerts but then it would be inconvenient to write back in the moment and then I'd forget about it, so it's plausible to me.

I prefer to batch up my correspondence so like to check texts every 3-4 hours or so during the work day if I'm not expecting anything. A watch might be too tempting for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Part of the reason I i haven't gotten a smart watch is that I figured I'd see the alerts but then it would be inconvenient to write back in the moment and then I'd forget about it, so it's plausible to me.

I prefer to batch up my correspondence so like to check texts every 3-4 hours or so during the work day if I'm not expecting anything. A watch might be too tempting for me.

Yeah, I think this is what's happening. My tween has a smart watch and says it's a pain to write texts on it. She does text to voice or voice memos mostly.

[Anonymous]

I wear my Apple watch on occasion when I am going to be busy and will have my phone put away somewhere but still need to be reached. I like it because I can easily communicate as needed in those situations but I don't like it because I don't enjoy sending messages on it other than quick ones I can do via talk to text or use reaction emojis for (i.e. a thumb up to indicate that I got the message). If I get a "real" text while wearing my watch, I am likely not going to respond at that time, but now the text is marked as read, so unless I remember it or go back through my texts later, it's possible that my response will be way more delayed than it would have been had I been on my phone (like during the work day). That's just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a smart watch and I hate typing out responses on it. The voice to text is not reliable. So if very important I might respond from it but otherwise do not. I also frequently don’t get alerted to texts that are sent even though it’s supposed to alert me. So I often miss them. When you are a busy person running after kids etc, it is easy to read a text and if you don’t respond immediately, to forget about it and not respond later even if that was your intent.

I get it that you’re busy, so am I, and so were they before they got the smart watches, but they used to respond and now they don’t respond. They’re not more busy, they’re less responsive. And my friends did not always text back immediately, it may have been an hour later or a few hours or the next day. But now…it’s a week or more. Is it because they don’t get alerts? They have no idea that I texted? That’s good to know. I was going under the assumption that they were getting alerts constantly. If they’re not seeing that I texted at all then it makes sense why they aren’t writing back. Thank you!

Smart watches can easily mark a message as read even though you didn't actually see it. All it takes is a flick of the wrist. I would assume they didn't see it or saw it but couldn't respond and then the text was no longer waiting for them to read when they have the time. I dislike my watch for that reason, which is why I don't wear it on a regular basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had 3 different friends who were frequent communicators/responders all stop being responsive once they got a smartwatch. It’s baffling to me because when I’m actually with them; they’re looking at it all the time because they’re constantly getting alerts, so it’s not that they’re putting devices away and becoming low tech, it’s the opposite. Now when I text them; instead of getting back to me within an hour or two or on the same day or next day like they used to, it’s a few days later, a week later, or just not at all. And before the DCUM tribe comes at me with pitchforks—no I’m not jealous that they have one, and no I’m not the type to demand quick responses and get angry when I don’t get them. I’m not a needy friend. They were just one type of communicator before and a different type after. Has anyone else noticed this pattern in your friends/relatives who got smart watches? Have you noticed this of yourself if you got a smart watch? I know 3 is not a huge sample size, so I’m wondering if this has been a thing others have noticed?

I’m guilty of this somewhat. I get and see the text on my watch with the intention of replying later on my phone. Sometimes I forget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Part of the reason I i haven't gotten a smart watch is that I figured I'd see the alerts but then it would be inconvenient to write back in the moment and then I'd forget about it, so it's plausible to me.

I prefer to batch up my correspondence so like to check texts every 3-4 hours or so during the work day if I'm not expecting anything. A watch might be too tempting for me.

I think this is it. If you have a phone and get a text you have to pull it out to read it, and by then you might as well respond since you've already got it out. With a watch, you can see the text, but if it isn't something that requires immediate attention, you just put your wrist back down because responding is clumsy.

[Anonymous]

Yes, in many ways if you have no self control:

Makes you write very short messages, simple repetitive word choices

Distracts you constantly if you check every alert or message realtime.

You stop living in the moment of wherever you are (nature, classrooms, dinner table, party) or who you are with (they become secondary).

Net/net: terrible for society, schools, communication, diction, posture (hunchbacks!), eyesight.

[Anonymous]

Do any k-12 schools still allow them or smart phones form 8am-3:30pm dismissal?

Things markedly improved when our public school banned them.