Picture this.
You’re walking down the street and you’re running late for an important meeting. You check your watch – 10 minutes behind schedule. What were the names of these clients again? As you rush across the road, you pull out your personal planner – right, Steve and Kate. If only that power outage last night hadn’t reset the alarm on your clock radio! Suddenly, you realise something awful. You’re lost. Shaking your head, you stop a stranger for directions and then make your way to a payphone to call and let your clients know you will be there soon.
Familiar scenario? Probably not. In today’s world, items that used to be a part of day-to-day life are now redundant thanks to mobile apps. Here are a few of the ways mobile apps have changed the way we do things.
The Way We Plan
Our alarm clock, our calendar, our notebook and our maps are all in one convenient place now. Mobiles are a funny thing though; while much less reliant on external power (forget about a blackout giving you an unexpected sleep-in) and much easier to carry and manipulate, they are also much more vulnerable to theft and carelessness. When you lose your phone, you often lose information that is essential to your life.
The Way We Game
You don’t need every console under the sun. You don’t need to be holed up in front of a TV. Your mobile lets you choose from a massive amount of games without doing anything more than visiting the app store. Major advancements in memory, graphics and battery life have changed gaming itself. Stereotypes of the moody teenage boy or unemployed nerd are blown out of the water; with games to suit every demographic, even your Nanna is a fan of this development.
The Way We Communicate
When was the last time you used handwriting to communicate with someone? If you aren’t with Kik, WhatsApp, Viber, HeyTell, Snapchat or any of the other instant messaging apps out there, then you are probably either too young to have a phone or too old to care.
The Way We Learn
From internet browser apps to language learning apps, these little programs are completely revamping how we educate ourselves. Forget night classes or part-time studying at a local institution. Now you can learn on your daily commute. Whether you research random facts for trivia night or are teaching yourself chemistry using a dedicated app, access to information has never been so cheap, fast or easy.
The Way We Stay Connected
Technology has been a major factor in globalisation, and keeping up with the latest news and current affairs is closely related. The development of apps has meant instead of being fed whatever news the publishing outlets think is worthy, we can pick and choose what we want to view and read about. Between dedicated news apps, podcasts and e-magazines, consumers now wield the power to stay connected with events all over the world, regardless of whether it is considered mainstream or niche. Simultaneously, apps have changed the way brands advertise and market to consumers. A couple of decades ago, app advertisers and publishers like Brus Media wouldn’t have even existed!
Apps have brought the world to our fingertips and changed the way we live in so many ways. What’s the biggest impact apps have had on modern society? Share your thoughts below!
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