Once upon a time, a smartphone was considered a luxury only available to the upper echelons of society, and purchasing one would have set you back a considerable amount. But today, the latest iPhone or Samsung smartphone is readily available to just about anyone via a telecoms contract, and over recent years, such has been their astonishing impact on just about every aspect of our lives that they are now nothing short of indispensable.
From socialising to working and sourcing entertainment, we simply can’t seem to get by without them. Ask any millennial or Gen Z-er to try leaving theirs at home for the day, and you’d no doubt be met with sheer panic, with most of us now having our smartphones glued to our hands throughout the day and evening. Now used to being permanently switched on and connected, the prospect of missing a message or the latest piece of breaking news leaves most of us breaking out in a cold sweat – but just how have these small devices cemented themselves as the ultimate modern day essential?
Social media
Social media was around long before smartphones became what they are today, but has evolved along with them, and we’re now permanently logged into apps like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok so as not to miss a single update. From keeping up with what our friends are up to to garnering travel or fashion inspiration, as well as simply sourcing pure entertainment, the ability to network with friends and acquaintances online from anywhere, anytime is one of the major reasons we now rely so heavily on our phones.
And, with a growing number of millennials and Gen Z-ers now having monetised their social media accounts as influencers, social media apps on smartphones are also becoming a vital source of income, making it possible to make some serious cash whilst out for dinner, enjoying a holiday or trying on clothes.
Gaming, new mobile casinos and entertainment
Our smartphones are our single most important source of entertainment in today’s modern world, allowing us access to film, TV and music streaming apps and the chance to log into the latest gaming and mobile casino apps to indulge in our favourite pastimes. Whilst it’s true that many of us still enjoy using gaming consoles like the latest Xbox and PlayStation iterations at home to get our fix, the abundance of smartphone apps have made it possible to access any kind of entertainment anywhere, anytime – and whether you’re on a plane, train or a tropical paradise beach, a few taps of your touchscreen and you’re in.
We’ve seen several new mobile casinos opening their virtual doors over the past few years, and during the recent global pandemic, they became a great source of entertainment for gambling enthusiasts while land-based casinos remained closed for lengthy lockdowns. With live dealers and the latest in technical innovation, games like Roulette, Blackjack and Poker are now just as fraught with tension and adrenaline and packed with enjoyment as a face-to-face game would be, and many of the world’s biggest high-rollers now prefer to play remotely.
Dating apps
Gone are the days when we left it up to fate to find that someone special, with dating apps completely transforming our love lives over the past decade. Without a smartphone at hand to access the likes of Hinge, Tinder and Bumble, we simply wouldn’t know where to start with finding our perfect partners, and rather than risk missing out on the opportunity to find love, many young singletons now dedicate hours of each day to swiping through possible matches and sifting through messages and notifications.
From initiating conversations to arranging dates, it’s now entirely possible to find your soulmate through smartphone apps such as these – which is something that couldn’t have even been conceived of just 15 years ago.
Remote working
It’s not just our leisure time that smartphones have transformed, though – and we increasingly rely on them for work. The ability to check and respond to emails whilst out of the office has made us more efficient than ever before, and has even sparked a new generation of remote workers who log on from anywhere from their sofas to their sun loungers.
It’s no longer necessary to be sitting at a desk to get our work done, and even laptops have become less relied upon as smartphones have got, well, smarter. As well as ensuring that we remain contactable no matter what country or time zone we happen to be in – something that has made business deals and projects quicker and easier to complete than they ever had been in the past – we can now access video calling apps like Zoom and Google Meets, create spreadsheets and even build websites from our smartphones, giving us greater freedom in how and from where we work than ever before.
