The phrase "there's an app for that" started as a way for Apple to convince the market that everything consumers could possibly need can be found in an application. While this phrase began somewhat as a joke, subtly poking fun at the ridiculous number of applications there are, this saying could not be more true. We live in a world where we survive off of technology. Without our computers, smartphones, tablets, laptops, we would essentially become a handicapped society. Just imagine getting around without Google Maps or some alternative GPS application. While this is the way people used to live, without assistive technology applications, my own generation has never lived in a world where that was the case.
Now that there truly is an app for everything, what will come next? When Facebook came out, we thought we would never need another social media platform. Facebook could do everything – share pictures, chat with friends, send updates. Then came Twitter; now we couldn't imagine a life where we didn't know what our friends were constantly thinking or what they were up to. How did we survive without Instagram? Not to mention Snapchat, which is now a part of our daily, even hourly, routines. We use Venmo to send cash instead of utilizing an ATM. We use Spotify to listen to music rather than purchase physical CDs. We use online mobile banking instead of driving to a physical bank. We are absorbed and sucked into the world of technology, quickly spiraling toward an exclusively technology-based society.
We use these technology platforms so regularly, we forget there was a time when these applications didn't exist. Check out this timeline of smartphone evolution. There was a time when we got through the day without scrolling through our friends' photos or sending silly pictures with filters. In fact, technology is expanding so rapidly, I bet you can't even remember when Snapchat didn't have the filters feature. We accept these changes with such open arms and eager attitudes, we never think twice about sticking to our current routines or feeling nostalgic for what we are about to leave in the dust. The next best thing is so quick to replace our loyalty to a previous platform.
"Pokémon Go" is a prime example of the way technology has such a grasp and control on the way we live. This application took the world by storm overnight. Within 24 hours, consumers everywhere were running around, aggressively tapping their phones and pushing people out of the way to capture their sacred Pokémon. It took one day for this to happen. One day, and technology has once again revolutionized our world. Consumers have adopted this application into their daily lives. Some have even taken the app to what most consider too far, wandering into stranger's yards, playing while driving and interrupting their work day with the Pokémon addiction. While this obsession seems ridiculous, I can't help but commend the brand on a job well done. "Pokémon Go" targeted the perfect audience, made it convenient for users to play on their devices and is a concept that has never been introduced before.
So, what is going to come next? How could there possibly be something introduced that we don't already have? As much as we ponder that question, there certainly will be a new viral app in the near future. And once we have that new app that, we won't be able to imagine life without it.
Technology defines who we are, who we have become and where we are going.
