The
downloading and usage of Smartphone applications
have rocketed in the last 2 years, from being just a far-off novelty, to become
our daily bread. And this trend is going to continue for the next years(1). In February a survey said that more than 70% of smartphones users
had up to 30 apps(2), which means nowadays they might be even more.
All this
information is enough reason for companies for trying to use this new platform to
offer their content -audiovisual
companies-, to reach more clients and reach them better -services companies- and to interact and get publicity -any company
in search for branding-. This is why “mobile marketing” is now one
of the focuses for advertisers, publicists and media
planners. All they try to find the way to get a share of the time consumers
spend nowadays in front of this small screen.
But now, I
put on the consumer hat, and see how we spend the time that we pass in front of
our phones. And, at the same time I see some great advantages of using Smartphone
applications, I also realize of some hazards
when using them.
For
example, WhatsApp is so useful and widespread
that saves us from the insane charges for SMS messages(3). But on
the other hand, more that 1 billion messages are sent each day by this medium(4),
which means a huge amount of time spent texting someone that is not with us,
and this is done many times accompanied by someone.
Many times
we have the impolite habit of using our Smartphone apps when being with other
people, this commercial (that surprisingly comes from a Mobile Operator) shows how all this takes a toll on us.
By far, most
used apps are Social Networks and games(5), which means that the time
while going by train or bus, that we used to spend on reading, studying or just
reflecting on our lives, now we use is to play Angry birds or look pictures and comment of “friends”.
Research
shows that Facebook is the most
popular Smartphone app among Android users in the U.S.(6) (and I
think probably in the rest of the world as well). That is, being all the time
in front of our computers “connected” with our friends is not enough? How often
we don’t meet in person with our friends because we “don’t have time”?
Technology should be a weapon to enjoy more our lives, not to become
zombies that live through it. This is the
main thought of the new movement “SMART-use-of-the-PHONE”, an initiative to support the responsible use of Smartphones and apps,
making the best of all its potential but refusing to waste our lives looking to
a phone screen. We all should think about it.
(1)- http://www.vecdis.es/?p=1664 (Spanish)
(5)- http://www.marketingnews.es/noticia/estudio-usuarios.html (Spanish)
So sad, so true. Thank you for the great article :)
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