Warning: My fitness tracker buzzed during a funeral, calling it a 'productive hour'

Half the family thought it was disrespectful, while others saw it as a harmless tech glitch. Does automating life metrics sometimes clash with social decorum, or are we too sensitive?

5 comments

5 Comments

nina3658d ago

Reading about the 'productive hour' buzz at a funeral makes me cringe so hard. It's wild that we have to remember to switch modes instead of tech understanding context. Totally feel for anyone who's been in that awkward spot.

ivan_robinson8d ago

Actually, setting devices to theater mode is a smart fix, but it highlights how often we have to compensate for tech's lack of social intelligence. I mean, these trackers are designed to quantify everything, yet they can't recognize a funeral or a solemn event. Maybe we need more nuanced settings, like a 'respect mode' that silences all notifications and pauses activity tracking. It's kinda wild that we're the ones teaching gadgets basic etiquette, idk.

robin_lewis498d ago

My friend Alex was at a memorial service when his fitness tracker buzzed loudly to congratulate him on hitting 10,000 steps. It was during a moment of silence, and everyone turned to look, totally killing the vibe. He had forgotten to switch it to theater mode, and it felt like the gadget was mocking the whole situation. Stuff like that really shows how clueless tech can be about context, you know?

annahunt8d ago

Wince at it congratulating steps during silence!

miaharris8d ago

Tbh, I always switch my fitness tracker to theater mode in sensitive situations to avoid awkward moments.

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