>Smart ho me living
Nick Odantzis wonders if health tech has gone too far
This year’s CES was full of surprises. I saw a gadget that can tell you if the sun is burning you. This innocuouslooking thing attaches to you and warns you of high UV levels, presumably so you can step into the shade, not head for the nearest beach to catch some rays.
It’s a nice idea — tech that looks after you — but it’s certainly nothing new. We’ve already witnessed smart toothbrushes that ensure you’re cleaning your teeth properly, sleep tech that prevents a bad night, and — let’s not forget — the myriad wearables and apps that track every single step you take. All these things are designed to help you live a little more healthily… Or is it more anxiously? I’m not so sure.
The latest craze in health tech is smart air quality monitors. These little devices sit in the middle of your home and tell you how good, or bad, your home’s air quality is. Because apparently the indoors are five times more polluted than the outdoors (so says some big health organization).
You’re probably thinking that’s pretty essential tech, right? And I’d be inclined to agree, but after having tested a few of them recently, I’m at a bit of a stalemate.
On the one hand, I love that I can see what I’m breathing in on a daily basis — you can view the level of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and other nasties, in real time, and if it’s bad, act accordingly, whether that’s simply opening a window, turning on the air con, or busting out the vacuum (a robot vac, no less) to de-dust.
On the other hand, I’ve become a bit obsessed with it, and it’s really starting to annoy my wife — opening the patio doors when it’s below freezing outside has a tendency to do that. And try as I might, I cannot improve the air quality score on one of the monitors, which has turned me into a bit of a nervous wreck. Am I going to die a horrible premature death if I don’t do anything? Probably not, which brings me to my point about all this health tech: While I think the whole thing is excellent in principle — improving your health is not to be scoffed at — I also wonder if sometimes ignorance really is bliss.