Smartphone Fever: The Epedemic

Globally, the number of smartphone users has risen above a billion   this number is expected to double in the next three years. These numbers would definitely place smartphone use at an epidemic proportion.  So what has caused this sudden increase in the ownership of smart phone users?  Because to many people it has become impossible to live without one. Personally, I was one of the last people in my group to purchase a smartphone.  Even now I am certain my phone is not the smartest in the group, yet it is impossible to imagine doing business without it.  A prime example is right in the middle of me working on my blog a received a text message, auto message and an e-mail from Home Depot updating the status of my new dryer delivery. The message even advised me to please put away any potentially dangerous animals for the safety of the delivery person. I never had to speak to an individual just touch a screen.

I am ashamed to admit, I was slow catching “Mobile Phone Fever”.   Although, it is not because I have not tried. Most mornings I wake up with my cell phone lying next to me. However, the first thing I do with it is to turn off my alarm. I don’t instantly flick through my e-mails or catch up on the latest post on Facebook. I don’t send out a tweet about my breakfast plans or create an Instagram. I tend to use my mobile phone apps for things such as finding restaurants, shopping center or potential clients.   I started an extra jobs several weeks ago locating leads for a local real estate investor. Smarter Agent, a real estate app, makes my job a breeze. It provides me with a list of property for sale, rent or sold in any area in the United States. It is an excellent example of why the trend is business is to move towards “Mobile First” which simply means the development of a mobile marketing campaign over a web based campaign.  Although, it is important of companies to stay ahead of the game by keeping up the shit, it is also important for them to make sure their individual market has the funds and consumers to support mobile first.

Is It Just a Game?

How many of us can remember playing card games with our families. It was such a standard to see children and even adults engaged in card games such as “The Game of Life”, Monopoly or Scramble for hours. It was a great way to foster healthy competition and just having fun.  The amazing thing is that most mobile phone users in America report using their mobile phone to do the same…play games.  Especially mothers, it has been reported that the average American Mom spends a lot of smartphone and tablet time playing games. I have to admit I found this information just as shocking as the report during the late 90’s that most people used the web to research celebrity gossip. What? It was hard to imagine that the greatest advancement in technology was used to find out what Britney Spears had for dinner. But apparently it is similar with the use of IPad, Android and other tablets which are primarily being used to defeat Zombies in games such as Planet vs. Zombie, Dead Trigger or Call of Mimi: Zombies.  This discovery could explain why it has taken me so long to catch the “fever”. I never liked playing games as a child or young adults. Therefore, it is the thought of spending my day playing Angry Birds, Bejeweled or Solitaire Blitz.  Guess that is my antidote for the fever.

Across the Generations:

Well my mother’s visit will be over this week and she will be traveling back to Arkansas. We had a weekly discussion about the use of mobile phones.  Although, I tried several time to teach her how to use my phone there is a huge chance she will never catch “Mobile Phone Fever”.  She has started using her IPad and thinks it is a great deal of fun playing games like Razzle with my son who is back at the University of South Florida.  It is a big step from our first discussion about going from a home phone to a mobile phone. However, I still thinks she is long way from understanding the power of the app.