Starbucks coffee, nerd glasses, dyed hair, and all-star converse shoes are some of the main ways to pull of the so-called hipster look. Teens and young adults are all about being up to date with fashion and technology. One could consider Wearable Technology to be the new fashion trend to sweep the 21st century fashion magazines. As a college student in her early 20s, I can say using wearable technology sounds like the best idea yet to have come to mankind. Let me rephrase that so we all understand what I mean.
Looking at the current use of wearable technology as a social hub and then as an educational tool can lead us to finding the future of this new trend. For example, a portable, light weight HP calculator watch was introduced in the 1980s. Although I assume we all know what this watch does, I will still explain the functions of this vintage watch. It tells time but can also be used as a calculator. One could be at the drive-in movie with their love interest and check the time to see if the movie started on time.
It also can be used to help total up the cost of the date all while watching Godzilla on the big screen. Now we all can agree that the Rolex has come very far with upgrades in history, so we can expect the HP watch to do the same, and it has. Don’t worry, we can still use the calculator. However, they added checking and responding to emails, Facebook and other tasks to those watches. Commercials on television have even showed us that we can call people and talk to them face-to-face. Now, can a Gucci handbag do that? I don’t think so.
These awesome Star Trek accessories can be used to be in contact with your friends but also with your college professors. That’s right. One can use these gadgets for education. At University of Wisconsin-Madison students can hear their finance professor record himself grading assignments by recording it on the Google Glass. Then his students are able to get his feedback as he is grading the papers. This allows them to receive information that is usually lost. Now, we can’t all afford a crown, but if people had an Oculus Rift headset, they could take tours of college campuses.
Fun right? No, really, over 1,000 colleges use Oculus Rift to provide future students with tours of campus and classrooms that once weren’t seen on their tours. If wearing hard hats and dirty construction clothes is not a pleasing fashion trend, don’t worry. These headsets allow engineering students to visit virtual construction sites and identify safety hazards without putting the students in harm’s way. If anatomy is more fashionable for a student, wearable technology can help.
Health instructors have used Google Glass devices to show paramedic or animal hoof health procedures thanks to the help of SUNY Cobleskills. What if someone likes to run and keep track of their stats? There’s technology for that. For example, my Samsung Galaxy S6 has a built-in heart rate monitor that can even check my stress level. If a smartphone can do that, a smart watch will be coming down the catwalk sooner then we think. Future of fashion always starts at the catwalk, and all future technology starts off as a light bulb in someone’s head.
Currently in New Zealand the University of Canterbury psychology and engineering departments are creating ways to use wearable technology better. How can a watch with Skype and glasses that give tours get any better? Well, their goal is to get technology with an interface with sensors that also has data and memory storage and minimizes distractions to the user so that the user pays more attention to their surroundings while texting or emailing because the technology is easy to operate.
If that is not in one’s best taste of fashion, the following might be. Medical technology researchers are trying to put vapor sensors on wearable technology. Therefore, someone with diabetes or lung disease can be alerted to airborne chemicals or other dangers to them. Here’s a nerdy look at all this new gear. A poll has shown that 21% of US college-aged students use wearable technology. GobalWeblndex shows that 71% of students between the ages 16 and 24 want to use the smart watches, wristbands, and glasses.
So let’s say goodbye to Hipsterville and say hello to Mr. Roboto. Wearing wearable technology will definitely be the new fashion trend. Let’s just face it. It’s been here already and started with the social hub and moved to the educational hub, and the future is looking spectacular for wearable technology. Being in my 20s in the 21st century is beginning to look like wires will be the new black. So bring me my supermodels on the front of Vogue Magazine and let the new trend of SmartWear begin by wearing smart watches, wrist bands, and headsets.