App Overload in the Big App?

Many of you may have already seen New York Magazine’s article entitled ”What’s Your Widget?“ in which noteworthy Big Applers like Jimmy Fallon divulge their favorite web applications. According to the author, “you can tell a lot about people by their apps.” This is true, Miss Sarah Bernard. I especially enjoyed learning that IT specialist Philip Blake has a weak bladder and Gossip Girl actor Matthew Settle is deeply insecure. Riveting.

But what about app overload? Have we as a society become so used to having our problems instantly solved, our questions immediately answered and our boredom quickly curtailed by the false notion that we are engaged in combat (see Al Roker’s favorite app), that we are losing our collective patience and ability to be resourceful and creative during those moments when technology fails? With over 85,000 iPhone apps and 2,500 Blackberry apps, could these apps eventually wear away at those humanistic qualities that were once innate, but are becoming rare? Are we suffering from collective A.D.D.? Or are all these apps just allowing us to accomplish more in any given minute than generations before us?

Discuss…

-Andréa S.