The smartphones that are enabled with hundreds of apps serve a variety of purposes and enable the users to perform their tasks in a much more quick and convenient manner. The world has adopted smartphones and other app enabled devices ten times faster than it embraced personal computers in the 1980s. “Apps bring out the human part of technology” says Scott Steinberg, a consultant and professional speaker on innovation.
Apart from enabling you to chat, e-mail, connect on social media, play games and share updates, users can do just about anything with a click. Whether it is transferring cash, creating presentations, online meetings, shopping, navigation, organizing events or just ordering a pizza to be delivered to your home; there are apps for all of these. Mobile commerce is growing at a furious pace and is expected to deliver billions of dollars in sales this year, as people are willing to spend more money to have access to the latest app services on their smartphones.
The method and frequency of our communications is constantly changing as more and more apps are designed to carry out our day to day activities. There is a growing obsession among people to interact more via smartphones than face to face. The winds of change are sweeping over the educational system too as students prefer to do their math and other assignments online than doing it manually. While this may enable them to complete their tasks faster, experts warn that the individual intelligence is diminishing as one does not put in much effort and creativity in his or her task.
The behavioral traits of smartphone users are undergoing a significant shift. Users pretend to talk on the phone, or fiddle with their apps to avoid eye contact or interactions with other people at public places and social gatherings. People are so engrossed with their devices that they are becoming oblivious of the existence of other humans around them. Similarly, based on interviews with the users, the mode of interactions and experiences on social media apps is pushing the youngsters to warp their identity. One can argue that the way you present yourself online is not entirely accurate when compared with interactions that are private and personal. Though they are tools of productivity and entertainment designed for business and pleasure, it would control and limit the experience that younger people have of each other and the world.
An interesting news points out that people now prefer to sleep with their devices as there are apps which can monitor your sleep pattern and movements. People who are separated from their phones find that they are under-stimulated and simply lack the ability to entertain themselves. It is also reported that toddlers across the US and Europe are becoming so addicted with smartphones and iPads that they need psychological therapy to de-addict themselves. Psychiatrists say that using gadgets to entertain you children will prevent them from forming normal social relationships in the future.
Whether we like it or not, it is true that the pervasiveness of technology is shaping our daily lives. While some may lament that thinking has become secondary, creativity and playtime have moved out of the backyard, there are others who feel that familiarizing themselves with the latest technology might prove to be tremendously useful to the workplaces of the future. It would be considered as an add-on quality and the hallmarks of a promising employee. The youth of today clearly navigate their identity, imagination and intimacy in a digital world!