Back in 2014, we explored the amazing statistic that the average person in the UK carries out more than 200 tasks every single day on his or her smartphone. That was four years ago, and between then and now smartphone usage has continued to rise year on year.
It’s easy to shake your head and make disapproving noises about technology taking over every facet of our existence, or to worry about teenagers who seem only capable of communicating if it is via Snapchat or Facebook messenger. These are valid concerns, and worthy of evaluation, but at the same time, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that smartphones enrich and enhance our lives in ways that is easy to overlook.
So let’s show a little love for our conduit to the wide world, by taking a look at some of the benefits they bring.
Keeping in touch
It might seem ironic that people are using their smartphones as phones less and less, but the truth is that they provide so much better, cheaper and more effective ways of keeping in touch with family and friends.
Connectivity is enormously important. It wasn’t so long ago that if you had family on the other side of the world, it was a choice of exorbitantly expensive phone calls or old fashioned letters, with perhaps half a dozen photos included. Today, we can chat on Skype for hours if we want to, and share hundreds of family snaps on Instagram. We take it for granted, but just imagine what past generations would have thought of these tools.
Games and entertainment
There are thousands of apps available for your phone, but take a guess at what sort is the most popular. This graph from statistica might surprise you. We love gaming, and it’s definitely not just for kids. Sites like www.ukcasinoonline.co.uk provide a vast choice of online casinos where adult gamers can play adult games. The ability to win some money at the same time is definitely an added incentive, but it is not just that.
Games provide an ideal way to wind down or just take a few minutes out from a busy day to gather your thoughts, whether you are spinning the reels at the casino or playing some other type of game such as Farmville, or even a sports simulator. As the market for gaming has grown, so has the variety of games and genres. And with the latest developments in new technology like Virtual Reality, there is plenty more innovation to come.
It goes beyond games, though. Most people have their entire music collection on their phone, and there is also the potential to stream TV or movies and, if your screen is big enough, even to read books. That smartphone contains entertainment that would have filled a room 30 years ago.
Home shopping on the go
Ecommerce is getting bigger with every passing year, but the biggest difference in trends since that last evaluation is that while in 2014, most people did their online shopping using a PC or laptop, today, they are far more likely to shop online using their smartphones.
You might ask what is the point in shopping from a mobile if the whole idea of ecommerce is to do your shopping from home. The answer lies in an interesting new trend, first reported last year by Retail Dive.
Shoppers are once again visiting the high streets, trying on clothes or taking a proper look at home electronics, and then once they have chosen, doing online price comparisons. There are definite advantages to buying something in store, and shopping in this way allows the customer to negotiate a discount on big ticket items, while providing the high street sellers with a genuine chance to compete with online retailers.
It’s a win/win for everyone, and all thanks to the smartphone.
