Apps, Raps, and Baseball Caps.

Let's be real, my title has nothing to do with this article other than it rhymes with apps. It seems that everyone has used or at least heard of apps. But, to those who maybe don’t understand all of the new technological jargon, what are apps? But really?

Apps is a cute little abbreviation for applications. Simple enough. But, in all actuality an app is a piece of software. There are apps for all different electronic devices such as the internet, your computer, or your cell phone. I’m mostly going to focus on applications for smartphones, because these seem the most popular and familiar to everyone. (Check out this article if you're not 100% sure)

I found an interesting article on applications and what they say about our personalities. A research was conducted where the analysis of data such as app genre, variety, and usage revealed types of personality categories which were then named “Appitypes.”

Whether this research study is valid or not is undecided, but it is interesting that we live in such a technologically advanced world that people believe they can determine our personalities just based upon the applications that we purchase and use. This article didn't list the actual “Appitypes” that it referred to, but it would be interesting to learn what they are.

This article did state, however, that according to the research, games (38%), social networking (35%), and music (29%) are the most downloaded applications; while social networking (31%), games (29%), and utilities (25%) are the most commonly used. I find it really interesting that games and social media are both the most downloaded and most used. Does this mean that people purchase smartphones merely for entertainment rather than the utility of the phone? I know that I am guilty for being addicted to a game on my phone (Candy Crush – don’t judge, it’s fantastic) and for managing my social media platforms on the go, but is that worth the amount I pay to have data on my phone plan?

I’m not saying that playing games or checking out Twitter is a bad thing to do on our phones. This girl is more than guilty of that. But, I do think it’s time we re-evaluate the use of our applications on our phones. Are we bettering ourselves due to all of this new technology or are we bettering our Candy Crush score?