Get All Access for $5/mo

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

By Philip Elmer-DeWitt

This story originally appeared on Fortune Magazine

Apple
Apple Watch

Regular readers will recall that my first date with 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 in Watch, 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 how Wikipedia, borrowing from an FBI 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.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

He Started a Business That Surpassed $100 Million in Under 3 Years: 'Consistent Revenue Right Out of the Gate'

Ryan Close, founder and CEO of Bartesian, had run a few small businesses on the side — but none of them excited him as much as the idea for a home cocktail machine.

Business Solutions

Get Down to Business with Lifetime Access to Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac for 70% Off

Unlock essential Office tools with a one-time purchase — ideal for entrepreneurs and professionals looking to streamline their workflow.

Business News

Looking for a Remote Job? Here Are the Most In-Demand Skills to Have on Your Resume, According to Employers.

Employers are looking for interpersonal skills like teamwork as well as specific coding skills.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'Do You Sell Cars?': Tesla CEO Elon Musk Trolls Jaguar Rebrand on X

The team running Jaguar's X account was working hard on social media this week.

Franchise

The Top 10 Coffee Franchises in 2024

From a classic cup of joe to a creamy latte, grab your favorite mug and get ready to brew up success with the best coffee franchises.