TECHNOLOGY TIPS – 2014 TECH TRENDS
TECHNOLOGY TIPS – 2014 TECH TRENDS
The first prediction is that there will be a lot more single-purpose apps. The introduction of Instagram has played a major role in the way people use their social media. With most users on a mobile phone utilizing their apps "you have a home screen with 20 apps. By definition you’re getting more single-purpose behavior" says Jeremy Liew of Lightspeed Venture Partners.
It appears that people are trending towards having their anonymity back and putting some veils over transparency. The most prevalent app for this includes Snapchat. There are newer apps that are showing great promise including Whisper an anonymous public confessions app and Rando. These apps allow you to get on their site without have to create a login or profile.
Apps like Tinder are showing that less is more when it comes to using social apps. Users want to be able to swipe click or choose yes or no when it comes to their social media. This may not be the best thing right now but mobile apps like Tinder showcase how social media is being used.
Expect to see more video in the future. According to Karen North professor at USC who heads up the school’s social media masters program "Photos and videos are key right now. I think that it’s part of all of us that if something is happening and it’s cool you want to be a able to remember it go back to it or show it to people who aren’t there."
Finally speed is the key for all social media. Smartphones and occasionally Facebook assist the rate at which new apps are adopted by users. Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Line showed how quickly an app can grow and make it look easy. Since all social media comes out as not only an online source but also an app it must appeal to even its youngest users – 11 and 12 year old new mobile phone owners.
2014 is going to prove to have a lot of social media pushes and changes as we become more visual. It’s going to be an exciting year for mobile technology.
CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
