Tuesday, November 14, 2017

For the Love Of Apps!

Have you ever looked at your phone to check the time...

then noticed a notification of a breaking news headline...
then tapped on the link and in the story see a map showing exactly where the story took place...
then searched that place up on Wikipedia to read about its history...
then a few Wiki articles later wonder what time it is again?

"Wait, I've been reading for 45 minutes?!"

Yes, we all know the struggle is real. The mobile revolution is upon us. The content on our phones is just so readily available, it is hard to resist the titillating temptation to tap.

The collection of essays, Book: A Futurist's Manifesto, by Hugh McGuire and Brian O'Leary
explores this world we have all stumbled upon or, as in the case of the younger generations, been born into. 

Of particular interest to me is the essay "The Engagement Economy,"by Bobby Gruenewald, co-founder of the Bible App.  Gruenewald tells of his journey to creating a digital version of the Bible. The original format of YouVersion.com created an online version where people could not only read the Bible text but contribute and interact with a variety of web media. The initial launch was unimpressive; however within 3 days of launching the mobile version, 80,000 users had downloaded the app. Tens of millions have downloaded YouVersion since! 
Gruenewald says mingling digital distribution with social interaction was key to the app's success.

7 Reasons I Love My Apps:

1. Social Interaction- I like to engage in conversations with friends, other users, and with the creators of the content.

2. Personalization- I'm able to customize my experiences. The more time I spend customizing, the more likely I am to continue to use the platform.

3. Multi-device, Multi-format- I'm able to easily access the content, anytime and anywhere. 

4. Gamification- Offering rewards and encouragement for regular engagement is a great way to keep my attention! This makes using the app fun regardless of the nature of the content.

5. Community contributionNotes and annotations reflect current knowledge and trends while enriching the context. My own contributions allow me yet another layer of interaction with the text. 

6. Multiple content tools- Whether that means providing different languages or versions, I want a large collection of works and I want to get to them instantly.

7. Personal investment-When I volunteer my time and effort to support and contribute to a particular online community, I become personally invested in its success.

I do love my apps! I personally use YouVersion often to look up particular passages quickly and easily, and every day I receive a notification reminding me to read a daily bible verse. My apps are like books because I hold both my phone and a book close to me when I am reading them. The great thing about our phones though are that unlike books, they are so close to us all the time, and they allow us as readers to become writers and vice versa. So when looking for a successful platform to publish upon, I say go for the apps you love!