The domain that I’d like to focus on is….
Mobile apps
This area is important/interesting to me because….
I don’t believe people need applications to do anything. However, I believe they are a useful tool and market to influence positive behaviors in people. For example, Pokemon Go gets people to go outside more. Maybe. I’ve never played Pokemon Go, and I’m not saying it’s a net positive on society but people do get some amount of exercise from it.
I often use apps on my phone to keep track of things, like a calendar or notes. While it’s entirely possible and practical to plan and figure things out on your own, having an app do or keep track of it feels more efficient in this day and age. We still like to have things decided and organized for us, rather than doing it on our own. Oh well.
The fact is, more people use phone applications than people read books. Sign of the times, right? And it makes our attention spans decline? I don’t think that necessarily has to be true. Apps have the potential to be as engaging and challenging as any book, and they can also be as time-wasting as anything else. And I think they can influence positive behaviors, if developed and marketed properly. Like anything else.
So, for example, you could make an app that helps people with home gardening. Recommending crops based on the humidity and soil type and whatnot, and helping people identify invasive or native plants. I find that even if a place is well-developed, it it’s overgrown with dried up weeds it’ll feel depressing and sterile. And I’m a pretty atmospherically influenced person.
You could also make an app that recommends recipes for home cooking based on someone’s cupboard, kitchen, fridge, dietary preferences, nearby grocery stores, etc… I mean, if apps are already stealing your data, they might as well compile it in a useful way so we can make better use of our own lives.