The App Revolution and Our Lives

The App Revolution

An Exploration of Our App Driven Lives

The First Question Is:

How Are Apps Affecting Our Mobile Phone Use?

Well …

“87 percent of time spent on mobile is in apps, whereas 13 percent is on the mobile Web.” – According to CEO of Flurry, Salman Khalaf in

2013.

This Means One Thing To Me:

That We Prefer Our Apps Over The Web Based Services Provided By Our

Service Carriers.

This Even Applies To Our Communication Between Each Other,

Using Instant Messaging Apps Such As WhatsApp.

Why?

Is It Because These Apps Provide A Better User Experience For Communication Than Just regular Texting?

Is It Just Because They Are Faster? Are They Actually Faster?

Or Do These Apps Offer Something That Texting Doesn’t?

According To An Infographic Published In December 2013 By KRDS Social

Media Agency:

• These Apps Do Offer Other Modes Of Instant Messaging, Like SnapChat or WeChat, With The Ability To Send Photos and Videos.

• Texting Can Do This As Well, Just Not As Well As These Apps.

This Is Why Apps Are Now Used By Such A Massive Majority Of The

World’s Population.

Because They Offer Up Something That Normal Web Services Don’t

And They Do It Very Well.

Does This Mean That Phone Service Companies Were Affected?

Yes, And In A Big Way.

A $23 Billion Dollar Way In 2012 To Be Exact.

Is There Any Way They Could Recover Those Losses?

Possibly, Because Some Of These Apps Do Allow Advertising Within Them.

Even In Unique Ways Such As SnapChat Letting Companies Setup Accounts To

Let People Subscribe To Receive SnapChats Promoting Their Stuff

Even Special Deals Sometimes!

What Could Be A Concern About All Of These Apps?

Personal Privacy Social Change

In Regards To Personal Privacy

The Social Apps Specifically, Need To Be Treated The Same Way Any Other Social Service Is Like Facebook

Where Anything You Post Online Without The Proper Security Measures Can Be Seen By What I’ll Call “Bad People.”

That, And Anything Posted Or Sent Will Exist Forever, Even If These Apps Are Not Connected In Any To The Internet.

Example: The Debacle With SnapChat Not Actually Deleting Sent SnapChats.

For The Social Change

There’s A Few Things That Go With This:

1. Calling People By Phone Outside Of A Work Environment May Become Obsolete

2. We May Become A Society More Greatly Affected By Our Apps Than The Physical World Around Us

Example: A Friends SnapChat Could Become More Important Than Paying Attention To Driving A Car.

Of Note: The Problem Of Using Our Apps While Driving Already Is A Problem In Our Society.

The Problem Is Great Enough That There’s Even Apps That Are Being Used To Prevent People From Using Their Apps Or Text While Driving.

According To An Article Published In December 2011 by Nationwide Magazine: “Nearly nine out of 10 Americans think texting while

driving should be outlawed. But two-thirds of adults admit that

they’ve done it, according to a Harris Interactive survey.”

What Does This Mean For The Future Of Apps And Society?

If Our History With Apps And How We Use Them Is Any Indication, A Few Things May Happen:

1. Laws May Come Into Effect To Protect The Consumer And/Or The Companies That Made And Host The App

2. Facebook Or Other Current Social Media May Fall By The Wayside Like Myspace

3. New Physical Technology May Come Along That Changes The World’s Perception Of What An “App” Is Or How Apps Are Used, I.E. Something Like Google Glass

All I Know Is This:

Apps Are A Huge Business And Aren’t Going To Fade Out Any Time Soon, It’ll Just Keep Evolving.