Smart Phone Era

In popular culture today we are able to experience firsthand the abrupt changes in technology and how such changes consume our daily lives. Electronic companies have molded society by capturing us into a vicious cycle of constantly needing to have the "latest-and-greatest" technology out there. Today technology controls every aspect of our daily lives - how we get up in the morning, how we commute to work, how we function at school or in the office, how we interact with others, how we raise our children, and how we mange our own well-being. Everything we do on a day-in and day-out basis is completely dependent on technology - whether we like to admit it or not. If we realistically evaluate our lives,  the first and last thing we do before going to sleep and  waking up the next morning is have some sort of contact with technology. Leading this life-consuming, ever-changing industry is the Smart Phone.

The Smart Phone is a trend that has literally swept the world off its feet. Off the top of my head, I do not think I know anybody who does NOT have a Smart Phone. Smart Phones are controlling our lives - particularly through the applications we can download or purchase. Smart Phones can literally do anything we want them to. At&t now has new software that can be downloaded into your phone from which you are able to control anything you can imagine - the light fixtures in your house, your television shows, door locks, thermostats, coffee maker, you are even able to connect cameras to your home to increase security. Ihealth is a monitoring system that works through the Smart Phone sensors connection to the internet to monitor consumers health. This company sells their own compatible software and hardware that read glucose levels and this data can then be downloaded wireless to your phone. Other health devices such as Fitbit which track your steps, floors climbed, sleep patterns, and eating habits provide you with daily suggestions to improve your personal health.  Chevrolet has recently launched an application for their new cars which monitors the consumption of gas as a function of your personal driving patterns and relays suggestions for how to improve your driving to save gas. More anatomically, you are able to turn on your car from anywhere, roll down your windows, turn on your heater, adjust the seating position, and turn the radio on to your favorite station - all before you even set foot inside your car. You want to check what's playing at the theater tonight? - There's an app for that. You want to see if your favorite store has the exact size and color of the shirt you want to buy before heading to the mall? There's an app for that. You want to pay for your order at Starbucks before even getting to the payment window? There's an app for that. You want to check travel options for a last minute weekend getaway with certain specifications and within a certain budget? - There's an app for that too. Wireless is the way of the future. This pattern has furthermore proven that technology is a major part of our lives and how the majority of technology applied is via Smart Phones.
I analogize the Smart Phone as the remote control of our life. It does not surprise me that we are able to manage every aspect of our lives at the touch of a wireless button. I think the reason propelling this trend of having the Smart Phone with the latest applications is that it is simple, easy to use, efficient, it can keep up with our daily lives (i.e. has a good battery life) and it is compact (making it easy to bring everywhere - even to bed). I see this technology as a vicious cycle which we buy into but also as progress for humankind to better themselves.