Smartwatches: Are they really that beneficial?

There have been many different smartwatches that have become popular over the years. Whether that be Fitbits, Apple Watches, or even the new Whoop watches, the trend has continued. Some smartwatches can do almost all the things a phone can. Yet, one common feature with all of them is that they aim to track your health. The number of steps you take, the calories burnt, and your heart rate. However, do they cause more harm than good? Or are the benefits really that great?

Advantages

Smartwatches can be beneficial when used properly. They allow you to track lots of things related to your body and can help motivate you to become healthier. One example of this is how many watches can help track your workouts or send alerts regarding your step count.

Another benefit is how smartwatches can be particularly beneficial to people who have heart problems. According to Harvard Health, people who have recently had health problems related to the heart, such as a heart attack, can find it beneficial when exercising to track their heart rate.

Some smartwatches also have fall detection and similar features related to safety. These tools can be helpful for many, especially older people.

Disadvantages

Despite all the benefits, experts have pointed out that smartwatches are not always helpful. Although smart watches can track things, they are not always right. Seth Creasy, a faculty member at the University of Colorado, said, "Each device has its own strengths and limitations on what it is measuring" (Shaw, 2025). Some devices may not be measuring bodily functions as accurately as we think they are.

Another disadvantage is that smart watches can be stressful for some people. Just like smartwatches can be a source of motivation for some people, they could have the opposite effect on others.

There are also privacy concerns. Since smartwatches are constantly tracking our data, is our information safe and private? There are some laws regarding this. However, there have been data breaches and lawsuits in the past. Apple and Google have faced lawsuits regarding their handling of data from smartwatches.

Conclusion

Overall, there are both advantages and disadvantages regarding smartwatches. They can be a helpful tool for people to track their health and understand themselves better. Some people might feel motivated to focus more on exercise and their health by using these watches. However, there are still concerns regarding accuracy and privacy, and users should be aware of them.

Sources

Clinic, C. (2026, April 8). What Are Fitness Trackers? And Do You Really Need One? Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/fitness-tracker

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Corliss, J. (2022, June 1). Do fitness trackers really help people move more? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/do-fitness-trackers-really-help-people-move-more

Martinez, M. (2025, November 5). Privacy in the Age of the Smartwatch | Duke Pratt School of Engineering. Duke Pratt School of Engineering. https://pratt.duke.edu/news/privacy-in-the-age-of-the-smartwatch/

Peres da Silva, J. (2023, May 4). Privacy Data Ethics of Wearable Digital Health Technology. Center for Digital Health | Medical School | Brown University. https://cdh.brown.edu/news/2023-05-04/ethics-wearables

Shaw, T. (2025, February 4). How fitness trackers uncover - and influence - your health. CU Anschutz Newsroom. https://news.cuanschutz.edu/medicine/wearable-fitness-tracker-health-data

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board

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