We are living in a digital world and I am a digital girl

The trend we are seeing as we progress through our weekly readings and discussions is that our digital future has become the digital present. Our cell phones and devices have quickly become a part of our daily routines. From the time our phone alarms wake us up in the morning to the time we lay down at night we are always connected. People have become so attached to their cellphones that there is actually a study evaluating the acceptability of cell phone use in public places. Just so you know it is generally acceptable to use your phone while walking down the street, but I would not personally recommend it.

It has been said that at least 90% of our mobile use is spent in apps which sounds about right in my case. Like most, my daily app consumption starts from the moment my phone alarm goes off. I get up and fix my morning cup of coffee and spend a few shameless minutes going back and forth between Facebook, Snapchat, and my Outlook app. And I definitely can't forget to take the daily morning selfie before work to show the world that I've got it all together, right? Mobile banking and bill-pay have also become a part of my monthly routine and I have most recently divulged in the Walmart Grocery Pickup app. It is a priceless treasure to not have to use my lunch hour to pay bills or step foot inside the grocery store after an 8-hour day. Also, I don't think I would make it through day to day life without music so Pandora is a must. Mobile is definitely in and I am all for it!

While managing the social media pages at work, I have discovered a couple of useful apps that have made content development much simpler. Canva is a free app that can be downloaded in the Apple Store. The app gives you access to millions of photos, graphics, and fonts which allows you to create and design your own graphics and presentation for various purposes. I use it specifically to create unique content for our Facebook and Instagram pages. While the desktop version is better for creating, the app allows me to make easy edits and share with my collaborative team. Below is one of my most recent designs that details the benefits of one of our local community partnerships.

Boomerang from Instagram is another fun app that allows you to take a quick burst of photos and turn it into a cute mini video. The one below features me with a Trojan 'T' t-shirt. This particular post was used to promote our referral system which is refer a friend and we will give you a free t-shirt if your referral signs up with us. I like how this app inspires creativity and it is a fun way to engage your following. The possibilities are endless.

(Click on the link in the photo to see the full mini-video and post)

I'm sure many of you are also finding that your app usage is becoming a part of your professional lifestyle. The concept of being mobile is nothing new. Businesses and organizations alike have long taken notice of this trend and made the transition through mobile optimization and apps. If you are new to the game, then the road to mobile is not going to be easy for you. But, if you are up for it then the benefits far exceed the risks. I'm a millennial and I am still playing catch-up because there is just so much out there in the digital sphere that I have yet to discover. How can life simultaneously get so easy yet so complex? I say complex, mainly, in reference to businesses who are not currently on the mobile train. I believe it is important for even small business to have some sort of mobility to their websites even if it is not in the form of an app. Let's face it, if your not mobile then you could be losing business. Recent statistics show that 62% of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile device in the last 6 months and 40% of user will go to the competitor after a bad mobile experience.

As a consumer, I like to shop around to compare products and prices before committing to a purchase. I even go so far as to read through the reviews which is often the deciding factor. Before downloading a new app, I go through a similar process.

On another note, while the U.S. and several other countries appear to be dominating in the mobile universe and app innovation, Africa shows us that you don't actually need an app for that. If you check out this Ted Talk, you will be amazed at some of the innovations that have come from Africa that we use today like the pay as you go phone sim card just to give an example. It really puts the concept of mobile innovation in a different perspective for me. Will the use of mobile apps one day fade out? Probably not anytime soon. New apps are being developed and added every day and that trend is showing no signs of slowing down.

Let me know some of your favorite or must-have apps in the comments below. Thanks for reading!