Sunday, April 12, 2015

Mobile Apps

         I want to first start by defining what a mobile app is for the very few of you in the world that may not know. A mobile app is a software program you can download and access directly using your phone or another mobile device. There are thousands and thousands of apps now-a-days that pride themselves on making our lives easier. A study that just came out says that 89 percent of peoples time spend on media is through mobile apps alone. I can absolutely see how that is possible. I know that when I get on my phone I alternate from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest constantly. Those are just a few of the mobile apps I have downloaded. I definitely realize that I am wasting my time on my phone and could be doing things more productive but the entertainment factor and feeling connected to the world are important to me.  
           I was reading a really interesting article talking about how often we check the apps on our phones daily. When people were asked how many times they thought they checked their phones every day they significantly underestimated the number. Alex Tew decided to create an app called “Checky” that actually counts how many times you open your phone daily and your location when you look at your phone. I think this app is genius. I have never heard about it before but doing research for this blog post I am very curious about the app and want to download it. People that have downloaded this app and set their limit of how many times it is okay to check their phone have significantly reduced their usage.  Alex Tew said “Just by having a statistic, it allows you to make a change.”
          Checky is not the only app that helps you realize how much your on your phone. There is another app called Moment, and it tracks how many minutes you spend on your phone each day. At the end of 2013 the average adult spent over 30 hours a month on their phones. It has been two years since that study so I cant even imagine the increase in phone usage now. Yes, apps can really help your life and help you feel connected but too much time on them can be a really bad thing. It is almost like a double edge sword. Make sure you are aware of how and where you are spending the majority of your time on your phone.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/apps-smartphone-use-_n_6096748.html

https://www.onguardonline.gov/articles/0018-understanding-mobile-apps#basics


3 comments:

  1. It is ridiculous how much time we waste checking apps on our phones. It has gotten to the point that hanging out with friends often means a bunch of people on their phones in the same room. While I try not to use my phone that often I'm definitely going to download this app so I can track myself.

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  2. I have never thought of using an app that will measure and gauge how much time I actually spend looking at my phone. Maybe something I can look into!!

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  3. Every year, there's a new smart phone released in the market, and if there's a new type of phone, there's also a new mobile app that is added in mobile app stores. Nowadays, many people are engaging themselves to these mobile apps. Whenever there's a new app, they quickly download it, but they also uninstall it faster when they encounter some problems, as I read in the article of one of the web design firms in Phoenix, that users eventually delete 90% of all downloaded apps, just because there are no new features or has a lot of bugs in the app.

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