Wearable technology may allow constant internet access and social media feeds, but will this increase in connectivity have positive or negative impacts? While smartphones increased mobile internet use, social media distractions cost businesses billions annually and reduce individual attention spans. Excessive social media use can also negatively impact real-world social relationships. Some consumers are rejecting smartphones and social media, suggesting wearables may not be the next step if portable technology already intrudes on life.

1. Image From Simon Hayhurst
Are Wearables The
Next Big Thing?
By: Patrick
Johnson

2. With the advent of the cell phone people became more
connected than ever before. A person could receive a call
anywhere at any time
Image From
Vaguely Artistic

3. The smartphone allowed people to have mobile
internet connection and access to social media at
their fingertips anywhere.
Image From
Highways Agency

4. Wearable technology may be the next step from
smartphones allowing not only internet on demand,
but constant and uninterrupted feed from the
internet and social media.
Image From lawrencegs

5. But will this breakthrough
technology allowing even more
consumption of virtual data have a
positive impact on our lives, or will
it lead to more problems than
benefits?
Image from John
Morris

6. Image From: Theophilos Papadopoulos
Smartphones and online profiles
are held by the majority of
teens and young adults

7. In 2008 77% of 15-17 year olds have an online
profile [1]
In 2008 71% of 12-17 year olds have a cell
phone up from 45% in fall 2004 [1]
Image From r.f.m.II

8. Cell phones have become ubiquitous over the
past few years making up the majority of
mobile phone sales in 2013 at 968 million sold
[2]
Image From West

9. However the increase in the availability
of social media due to these sales has a
cost
Image From: Mervi Eskelinen

10. Social media distractions are
estimated to cost Businesses in
the United States $650 billion
per year [3]
Image From
Purple Slog
Image From:
Purple Slog

11. I takes on average 25
minutes to return to a
task after distracted [4]
Employees spend
about 11 minutes
working between
distractions [4].
Social Media being
a large contributor
Image From Nicholas
Wang

12. Technology does not just affect our
attention while being used, but when
turned off as well
Image From LearnerWeb

13. The average attention span
has dropped from 12 minutes
to 5 minutes in the last 10
years [5]
Image From Mr.
TinDC

14. The constant use of social media
has more impact than just on
attention span and distractions, it
can also affect social health
Image From Aslan
Media

15. There is a strong correlation between
increased time building online profiles and a
decrease in quality of offline relationships [6]
Image from Hendrik
Dacquin

16. The presence of social media is
having a negative impact on our
lives.
Image From mkhmarketing

17. However it seems that tech
companies are still looking to
allow consumers to have even
more access to social media
Image From AndYaDontStop

18. Some consumers seem to be going in the opposite
direction. More an more people getting rid of
smartphones and leaving facebook. [7], [8]
Image from
Kenny Stoltz

19. Wearables may not after all be the
next step for communication. If many
are finding that the current
incarnations of portable technology
intrude on their life and lessen its
quality, then wearable technology
seems like it is doomed to fail.
Image From
Solarbotics

20. Image From Cristian
Sources:
[1]http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic786630.files/
Teens%20Social%20Media%20and%20Health%20-
%20NYPH%20Dept%20Pew%20Internet.pdf
[2] http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/13/smartphones-
outsell-dumb-phones-globally/
[3]http://emersonecom.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/342
0/
[4]http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9806
E3DD163FF935A25753C1A9639C8B63
[5] http://psychminds.com/is-the-internet-destroying-
our-attentions-span/
[6] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margiewarrell/social-
media-lonely_b_4034744.html
[7]http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865577739/Dum
b-is-better-Kicking-the-smart-phone-
addiction.html?pg=all
[8] http://fusion.net/abc_univision/story/quitting-
facebook-11338