Help! I've Been Kidnapped by My Apple Watch.One week later, I'm suffering from something like Stockholm syndrome.

ByPhilip Elmer-DeWitt

This story originally appeared onFortune Magazine

Apple
Apple Watch

Regular readers will recall thatmy first datewith the Apple Watch did not go smoothly. I was wearing it wrong. The apps were sluggish. The first time I tried to message a friend it crashed.

One week later, I still don't love it. But I am having feelings. Mostly after small victories.

I felt something when I figured out how to tune Twitter so that I wasn't bombarded with notifications.

I felt something when, six days later, I managed to add someone to my friends screen.

I felt something when I began to get comfortable with the interface vocabulary — the vertical swipes, the horizontal swipes, the force touch, the digital crown.

"Do not expect to strap on Apple Watch for the first time and feel entirely at home," says Daring Fireball's John Gruber inWatch, Apple Watch, an essay that makes a useful distinction between needing a wireless computer on your wrist and wanting one.

This is a device that demands exploration. It needs to be mastered. It needs to be fine-tuned to fit your digital lifestyle.

And when it does, when Apple's "most personal" device starts to feel at home, you can't help bonding with it.

I'm reminded of the way people who mastered a complex piece of pre-WYSIWYG software — the typists who memorized WordPerfect's obscure keystroke combinations, for example — clung to it until their cold dead fingers had to be pried off the keyboard.

I've searched for a term to describe this phenomenon, and I think I've found it: Stockholm syndrome. Here's howWikipedia, borrowing from anFBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, defines it.

Stockholm syndrome, or capture-bonding, is a psychologicalphenomenon in which hostages expressempathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with the captors. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors for an act of kindness.

Mistaking a lack of abuse for an act of kindness. That's me and my Apple Watch, one week later.

Philip Elmer-DeWitt is a writer and editor.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

领导

The Gender Pay Gap Is About to Widen as Companies Adopt a 'Men First' Work Policy Without Realizing It

By scrapping the gains in flexible working environments made during the pandemic, firms are essentially establishing a "men first" hiring policy, whether they realize it or not. An inflexible return-to-office approach is pushing women out, which in turn fosters an environment that is even more exclusive.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2023

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2023.

Business News

Sam Bankman-Fried Found Guilty on All Charges. Faces up to 110 Years in Prison.

The disgraced FTX founder was accused of one of the largest financial frauds ever.

Business News

Starbucks Is Debuting Two New Drinks For the Holiday Season — Here's What's New This Year

链会l roll out new holiday-themed cups and beverages starting November 2.

Business News

Mariah Carey Is Being Sued Over 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' – Again

Songwriter Vince Vance claims Carey stole the Christmas classic.

Innovation

Language Barriers Divide Global Workforces — But Not For Long With This New Technology

AI is a game-changer for remote teams, providing powerful tools to enhance productivity and efficiency.