The Mobile Revolution - Are you hooked up yet?

When the leading experts, politicians, public officials, business leaders and journalists predicted I the 1990’s that the internet would transform the world they couldn’t ever imagine what kind influence the Internet will have actually. Since Apple brought their first smart phone, iPhone, to the markets, everything has changed.

The first smart phone came out in 1993 and it was produced by IBM but the device wasn’t ready yet. Either the world wasn’t. It took almost eight years before smart phones became more popular than basic mobile phones. Nokia (in Europe) and especially Samsung (Asia) had big influence to the sales of smart phones during the last years. The change happened in the autumn of 2011: Smart phones overtook sales and there is nothing to stop it. Sales will keep only increasing. Talking about mobile phones, especially in western countries, almost everyone has even one or more today.

In addition of smart phones Apple and the other biggest companies has brought more mobile devices for consumers, tablets for example. We have had laptops over the decades already but those have also developed rapidly. The modern laptops of today are smaller and lighter but, however, more efficient.

And what has this kind of mobile revolution brought to our lives and societies?  At least can be said that the experts weren’t wrong when they claimed world will change because of the Internet. In the book Misunderstanding Internet it’s said Internet is the unstoppable force. It will shrink the universe, promote dialogue between nations and foster global understanding. 

Changes in the Media World

The field of advertising in the media has transformed within the mobile revolution. For example in Britain internet advertising already took a larger share (25 per cent) of advertising expenditure in 2010 than the newspaper press (18 per cent). These kinds of changes mean that the newspapers will get less and less incomes from adverts every year. They have to change also to avoid the bankruptcy. So what is the result? The unemployed journalists? Exactly.

This development of advertising gives challenges to the marketing persons too. They have to think and create new ways to do marketing and advertising. Today paper or television commercials are not enough. Every company is trying to get visibility in the social media. Or at least they should try. The branch of marketing is wider than ever before.

People are reading less newspaper now because they can get the news whenever and wherever they want. Every newspaper has now own websites offering instant news via RSS for their readers.

The way to the Eden – or not?

Today we can do almost everything with our smart phones or tablets which earlier needed computer. Mobile access to the Internet was the way to the Eden.  Now we can check the e-mails and answer those. We can use social media and build social networks via mobile devices while moving around. We can send instant messages to chat to the other side of the world while having a lunch. We can get the News immediately with RSS. We can pay bills via mobile applications and even do shopping in the Internet while sitting in a tram or a bus. 

The possibilities these devices are giving are addictive.  Let’s take an example everyone knows now (not five years ago), Facebook. When you post status update, new photo or participate in some discussion you “have to” follow how others (users) are reacting. And when they do, and if they do it positive way, it gives satisfaction. You’d like to do it again. As I said, addictive and really easy to get hooked up.

There can also be some group discussions you’re involved, with your friends or something you have to follow because of your job or school. So serious and not so serious. But still you “have to” follow all the time what the others are writing. Basically you could have all the time going on something you “should” follow, comment or participate some way.

I have noticed this phenomenon increasing fast. I’ve seen teenagers having lunch in restaurant as a group of six people and everyone using smart phone same time. It looked like they were together but still not. 

Think about yourself. How often are you checking your phone? And in what kind of situations? Is it always acceptable on your mind? What might the others around you think? Is the mobile access to Internet really the way to the Eden?  

Once we went to have a dinner with a group of my friends and as soon as we sat down I asked if everyone could abandon their mobiles phones for the dinner. 9 of 10 said it is okay but one, the youngest of us, really could not give up the phone.  She was chatting in Facebook and sending SMS during the dinner while we others had discussions. She wasn’t isolated, she didn’t feel herself as an outsider, but it was still bothering me. Why could not she give the phone away for an hour? Do we have to be “online” all the time?

I think she is hooked up already.

Olli Vainio