Apps have become hugely popular, with 87% of mobile time now spent in apps rather than on mobile web. People prefer apps over web services as they provide a better user experience for communication and sharing photos/videos. This has negatively impacted phone companies, costing them $23 billion in 2012. However, apps can generate advertising revenue. There are also privacy and social risks, like overuse leading to distracted driving. Overall, apps will continue to evolve rapidly and new laws/technologies may change their role in society over time.
4. 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.
6. That We Prefer Our Apps Over The
Web Based Services Provided By Our
Service Carriers.
7. This Even Applies To Our
Communication Between Each Other,
Using Instant Messaging Apps Such As WhatsApp.
8. 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?
9. 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.
10. This Is Why Apps Are Now Used By
Such A Massive Majority Of The
World’s Population.
11. Because They Offer Up Something
That Normal Web Services Don’t
And They Do It Very Well.
12. 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.
13. Is There Any Way They Could Recover
Those Losses?
Possibly, Because Some Of These Apps Do Allow
Advertising Within Them.
14. 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!
15. What Could Be A Concern About All Of
These Apps?
Personal Privacy Social Change
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.”
19. 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
20. 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.