A video showing fans sighing at the announcement of the price of Apple's mixed reality (MR) headset "Vision Pro" in June went viral. The $5,000 price tag, reminiscent of ski goggles, made people wonder if the new Apple product, considering Apple's technological achievements, was worth the hype. However, it also made us hesitate in front of a more fundamental question that has been raised in existing products in the related industry.

Do I really want to wear this?

The "wearables" we see today began with science fiction fantasies about human nature in the late 20th century. The idea of augmenting human senses and abilities, driven by two world wars and eugenics discourse, led to the depiction of superheroes' enhanced strength and speed in popular culture. But the essence of wearables lies in the relationship with the world made possible by wearing them, that is, in the motivation. Armor in battlefields played the role of keeping body temperature and reducing the effects of external attacks, while clothing and accessories, which served to increase the possibility of species reproduction and social selection, and the makeup and costumes that people choose to be part of a particular community, were all the functions of wearables at a more fundamental level.

In particular, we should pay attention to the head, which requires an extremely high level of meticulous design in the human body. Passport photos where ears are exposed, headshots used in Twitter profile pictures, the diversity of female bangs, and delicate and subtle styles and expressions expressed through earrings, piercings, necklaces, etc., are all evidence that extremely symbolic values are being bestowed on the head and face in reality. However, the opaque vision that is confirmed from the outside when wearing the Vision Pro makes it difficult to confirm the other person's eyes, a tool of intimacy and attention, and makes it look like wearing a magnifying glass, which signals that you are focused on the task at hand.

Therefore, for wearable technology to truly function within the daily life systems of people, it should acknowledge its potential as a gateway to this system of symbolic values, and by reconfirming the function of wearables at a more fundamental level, we can find opportunities for the future.

Italian theorist Leopoldiana Fortunati argued that the mobile phone has infiltrated the world of fashion and accessories, and the most successful strategy among them is the so-called "transformation into a soft machine" that can be decorated with soft leather or stickers and placed in pants pockets or handbags. In other words, the reason why smartphones have become so widely available is that they can be successfully applied to the way users decorate themselves because they can be chosen to be less conspicuous. Applying this, we can consider the following questions: Can we suggest a direction in which accessories as bulky as Vision Pro headsets can be styled? Or is there a way to keep the headset in a shoulder bag and easily hide it while maintaining style? This is an issue from the world of fashion, not from the perspective of industrial design, but rather from the perspective of social relationships.

We can also find clues from an anthropological perspective that views masks or facial ornaments as practices that see them as opportunities for conscious transformation. Military camouflage cream applied before training, makeup for Halloween parties, symbolize the covering or reconstruction of faces to enhance the meaning of relationships and joining a particular community. Therefore, the opportunity for head-mounted wearables lies in whether the right type of transformation can be utilized at the right time. There are many opportunities to apply to everyday life, such as expressing oneself as a dragon when playing with children, or helping them to realize who they are when they wear new clothes, thus strengthening the meaning of relationships with others during wearable use.

Until now, the industry discourse has seemed to argue that the digital nature of the new wearable technology, which is essentially confirmed by the screen of the worn device, creates a new relationship with the world. However, wearables are not a new category in themselves, but rather a function that is added within the unique historical and cultural norms of clothing, accessories, jewelry, sports and medical devices. Therefore, wearable products should provide a strong socially acceptable symbolic meaning. In other words, there is an opportunity for success in seamlessly incorporating technology into the world of symbols that our bodies wear, rather than replacing the functions of the body.

*This article is the original text of theElectronic Newspaper Named Columnon July 24, 2023.

References

Apple fans groan at the price of Vision Pro at WWDC

Hyperdressing: Wearable Technology in the Time of Global Warming

The Opposite of Disappearing

The Anthropology of Wearables: The Self, The Social, and the Autobiographical

The mobile phone as technological artefact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠