My Day is Delighted by My Mobile Use

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This blog post was written for a marketing omni-channel class at George Brown College and originally published on my website www.rightinthatmiddle.com

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Life without a phone is virtually impossible. These days there doesn’t seem to be a moment without it. We take that thing everywhere. Outside, inside, to the dinner table, to the couch, to the toilet, to the bedroom- for most people there isn’t a place you wouldn’t take your phone.

Life in the 2020s is synonymous with smartphone use and as a millennial, the experiences I have with my phone are no different.

When sun rises, the screen follows

As soon as I wake up, I am greeted to the alarm clock on my phone. As the bring LED screen shines in my face, I am quick to grab the device and mute the visual and sound. After a few moments, I am ready to start my day and take the phone with me throughout my routine. As go through my day, I am constantly taking opportunities to glance at my device for mindless distractions.

I want to know…

What is on Instagram right now?

I wonder if anyone has posted a new video…

What was that thing I saw on that branded social media page?

Will I win another game of Solitaire?

I use my phone for endless hours of distraction. The black brick of amusement follows me everywhere as I journey through my daily life.

Yes, an average day on my device is littered with time scrolling through feeds. When I am not taking up precious hours playing my favourite digital application, the classic Solitaire, I frequent Instagram and YouTube, searching for endless hours of video and image content. Over the years I have taken feed curation incredibly seriously, so I pride myself in what I will find next on the free-flowing streams of content spoon fed to me by the social media algorithm marketing Gods.

My experience, beautiful. My amusement, endless.

Music Apps… a not so guilty pleasure

If I am not keeping my eyes glued to a video or image, my fingers are quick to tap on the next best thing, Spotify.

Spotify, or I should say the thing that stopped me from my continued use of ‘sharing’ copywritten music for free, has been a godsend.

Music platforms have revolutionized consumption for contemporary life. From the early internet era of pirated music to current iterations of music streaming platforms, modern consumers have shifted the landscape for music consumption at a massive scale. For many music fans, this change has created massive accessibility, but for music creators, this has shifted the financial landscape of the entire industry.

Nevertheless, despite its flaws, I jump into the cold dead arms of Spotify with blissful glee. Nothing sooths me more than listening to The Chauffeur by Duran Duran for the 17654321 time this month.

When I want to feel to the nostalgia, I will lean in. Spotify has been a great adult pacifier during these trying pandemic times.

Besides, I’ll always want to listen to The Beatles again.

I get by with a little help from my friends

What would my smartphone be without using it for at least one form of social communication? While I do use my device for Instagram and YouTube, common social platforms, I prefer to spend time on those sites as a passive, anonymous user.

That all changes when I want to chat with someone.

Over the course of these unprecedented and trying times, I have really leaned into the support systems I have created with my friends that were forged over the fires of Mark Zuckerberg’s second-best product, WhatsApp.

When I need to chat with a friend, or get some important group work sorted, I immediately open my WhatsApp account and get to work. I love the convenience and customization the app has allowed me to do.

Gifs, my best friend.

Emojis, a decent third wheel.

Overall, when I think of WhatsApp, I think to myself one simple thing.

I want to connect.

Feeling the friction of an active mobile life

Sometimes, I don’t get my digital wish. Sometimes my experience is terrible.

There have been moments when I have wanted to take my device and all its cold, hard, plastic, digital glory, and throw it against the wall. There have been times when I have ridiculed my device for its ‘sub-par’ experience. There have been other times I have simply been disappointed.

Some would say that is ‘being dramatic.’

Others would say that just means asking for an elevated experience.

I prefer to identify with the later.

Whenever an application goes down, I feel frustrated. Why won’t it work?

I have gotten accustomed to the speed and convenience of my experience online. It is like the feeling of walking into your favourite store because you know you are going to buy something. If you went into that space and it was in a constant disarray, you wouldn’t want to purchase from there. Well, I feel that way in the moments that I face a sense of friction between me and an application on my device. Thanks to the technological advancements, my expectations are decidedly high.

What does that mean… for marketers?

Now if I had to put my wonderful, tailor made, marketing hat on, there is a clear path forward. Based on my consumer behaviour, I use my device to get ‘lost in the sauce,’ otherwise known as distracted.

I love using my phone to become caught in something interesting or engaging. I love a strong visual cue, so I opt for experiences that factor in those values. In this sense, I enjoy a cerebral experience. Anything short of that can feel disengaging for me and my expectations with my device.

I think the best way to amend that problem is focusing on a clear visual and direct communication plan whenever the devices go down. When possible, there should be backup images that appear on the device to notify users that the application is having problems.

In addition, it would be better if all companies used those opportunities to direct customers to social media pages that provide more information when systems are down. This way, audiences can make up their own mind on how long they want to wait for the problem to be solved.

With stronger more clear communication, I believe this problem would go from being a mountain to a mole hill.

What do you think?