How ‘Continuum’ Tempered My Enthusiasm for Wearables

I am a self-professed sci-fi geek and gadget freak. On their own, each is a nifty hobby and, let’s face it, time-suck (but in a good way) that I enjoy immensely. Recently, however, the two have crossed paths in a way that has left a sour taste in my mouth, in the form of the TV show, “Continuum.”

For those who don’t know it, Continuum is a campy show on SyFy about a cop from the future who gets transported to present day and is hunting a band of terrorists known as Liber8, who want to rid the world of the corporations that rule everything in the future. Much of the fun comes from the thinly veiled references to today's "evil" corporations—one of the most agregious companies in the show is named "Sanmonto" (you do the word scramble), but it does make one think about power corporations wield.

One of the show’s main characters, Alec Sadler, is a technology wunderkind who develops a wearable device called the Halo, which is worn around the wrist and measures vital statistics, amount of sleep, food intake, exercise, etc., all ostensibly to keep a person healthy. Here’s the kicker: When Halo registers something is amiss, it sends signals to the brain to correct the problem.

Of course, this being science fiction, Halo is also the device that eventually will control the world’s population.

Now, I don’t think wearables are going to make us all zombies. But what has made the stop and think hard about incorporating technology onto myself is the potential for interaction between the device and the body—how long before our smartwatches can send electrical impulses to slow our heartbeat or induce the brain to release endorphins?

At the same time, how long before the metrics wearable devices collect go back to our healthcare providers and even insurance companies, all in the name of keeping us healthy? I’m not sure I want my doctor to know whether I have a wacky sleep schedule or how many glasses of wine (St. Emilion red) I have per evening, or even whether I missed my Sunday morning workout.

I guess it boils down to a lack of privacy and a lack of control—two things we seem to have less of as technology becomes more a part of our lives. Right now my FitBit can't tattle on me if I have that extra cookie. The second it can, however, it's going in the drawer that holds all of my other technology mistakes.