The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire Hudson Horizons organization.
In college, I was always the guy who sat in the back corner of each class, in anticipation of its ending. I went through the motions of pretending like I actually cared about learning when, in reality, I was thinking about girls, money and the weekend. However, there were two classes that made me want to participate. Not only were these two courses interesting and kept my attention, the style in which my professor taught them permitted me to voice my opinion any time I wanted. As a result, Erin (my professor) did something none of my other teachers did - She encouraged me to think critically.
While this sounds like a bad thing, the greatest component I added to my self-artillery upon graduating, besides an amazing network of friends and a B.S. in Communication Studies, was the ability to think critically. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. To me, the ability to think critically doesn't mean to negatively evaluate everything. My definition of thinking critically involves identifying an object or situation, thinking about how it can benefit people, and finally, connecting those thoughts with reality.
With that being said, here are just a few initial reasons as to why we all should think critically about buying Google glasses, assuming they will be released in the future. If you haven't seen Google's ‘Project Glass' video yet, please watch below before continuing.
Eye Protection
Aside from the fact that the Google specs aren't the best looking prototype to wear anywhere except for in the confines of your own home, how are the glasses going to protect my eyes from the sun? Or better yet, how will these eye frames improve my vision? A recent article explains that even users with prescription glasses will be able to use the Google frames, but there is no clear need for people with inferior sight to update their glasses to a more expensive pair. I won't even get into vision insurance policies for prescription glasses, but while my vision is perfectly fine, I will never let the sun win in the battle against my eyes - a battle not even in question when I'm wearing my Ray Bans.
This issue can easily be fixed in the future, so I'll move on to some more pressing concerns.
Durability
Sure, Google's glasses are still in the prototype stages, but I hope that the redesign includes frames that embrace a high level of durability. Consumers can expect to pay a pretty penny on eyewear boasting this type of capability, so they shouldn't be worried about what will happen if it accidentally hits the pavement. If ever these glasses get released, Google needs to have a solid warranty plan in place for consumers.
Safety
The video shows a gentleman doing a lot of neat things, all from his Google frames. While it's all impressive, the fact of the matter is that these are glasses. Consumers can't have anything that will obstruct their vision. That's the point of eyeglasses in the first place. Traditional glasses help improve vision, not obstruct it. With all those notifications popping up, Google glasses only seem to impair vision. You thought texting while driving was bad? You have no idea.
Keep it simple
As I said before, the capability of Google glasses is pretty impressive, but does it do too much? Is it even practical to wear glasses that do those things? What exactly is the need? And who will the demographic be? Not to hate on Google, but their products aren't the easiest to understand how to use. I've used Gmail as a personal e-mail account for the past three years and I still don't know how to find old e-mail attachments. It seems to me that the people who would be best at using these glasses are tech experts. Sorry mom, dad, brother, sister and neighbor, but this product won't cater to your tech intellect (or lack of).
What does Google know about my eyes?
As stated before, Google doesn't exactly make the best products. Granted, they have done an amazing job with the organic part of their search engine, but almost every other Google product is pretty confusing or a miss altogether. With that being said, why would I trust Google to produce eyewear? Wouldn't it make better sense to team up with a corporation that specializes in optics? A company that has tried to help people improve their vision for years? To be honest, I'd bet on Oakley's eyewear technology solution or the fine people at Warby Parker to team up with an innovative company like Apple, before I would trust Google's ‘expertise.'
Privacy violation
Google's violation of consumer privacy is the biggest concern I have with this product.
How many times have you used Google to search for something and then on future visits noticed that there are ads across every Google product you use? Is it a coincidence that those ads attempt to provide a solution to that same exact search query you produced a few days ago? No, it isn't. Ad revenue is a major part of Google's business model. Now imagine using this product in your everyday life. Google glasses will most likely have even more access to your personal information - information about your everyday behavior. Forgot what you did today? Don't worry, a targeted Google ad for the cleaners that serves Starbucks chai lattes while playing a fine selection of Lady Gaga's best hits in the Omaha, Nebraska area, will be waiting on your computer when you get home. Thanks Google glasses!
Google will make sure that they address all of these concerns prior to releasing such a product, but even if they do, are Google glasses really something consumers need? Does the average consumer need an eyewear solution that does all of this? My critical thinking leads me to think not.
What do you think? Let's talk about it in the comments.