Statement Maker: Instant Messaging Democratizes Thinking On Your Phone
Saurabh Sharma
Chief Marketing Officer | Director of Marketing | GTM Strategy | Full-stack Marketing | Creative Leadership | Brand and Revenue Growth | Customer Acquisition | Retention and Loyalty | Canadian Hall Of Fame–Rowing
The smartphone is gradually morphing into what was once the television remote or the toaster, everyone in the world has to have one. When we send instant messages using emoticons, pictures, videos and graphic design files we are helping to shape modern language.
The obvious appeal of instant messaging is its speed. Back when most computing was done on a desktop, people used to complain about how much pressure they felt to quickly respond to an e-mail. In those days, it was understood that you might have walked away from your desk. Today, there is no socially acceptable excuse for being without your smartphone. If you receive an instant message now, you are obliged instantaneously to reply to it – to confirm you are not one of those people who can be without a smartphone.
The instant messaging functionality of smartphone apps has reached a new frenzy. Companies such as Apple’s iMessage, Skype, Live and WeChat and WhatsApp are evolving to become the rumor mills of choice among people around the globe and for social-media users. Messaging is now superseding other platforms in trustworthiness and challenging them in popularity. We trust information on messaging platforms because information comes from family and friends and not strangers.
Our smartphones may shape our consciousness, but it is our consciousness that makes us credible as productive humans. For the moment, instant messaging is here to stay, but it is ultimately an interim technology. Once the capacity of our smartphones increases to even better mobile messaging platforms, we are likely to see more pictograms, musical messages and videos. Till then we can enjoy these apps on our phones to express a wider range of emotions to enhance our instant communications with family, friends and co-workers.
Once upon a time, people used to worry about what new technologies would do to our minds. People used to worry about shorter attention spans, how we would forget to read, and not have any meaningful time for personal relationships because of technology. But today, we live in the time of the available self. Our smartphones, apps and instant messages are the right measure for uniqueness in our lives. Only our personal taste decides which character trait we wish to emphasize in our messages.
Chief Marketing Officer | Director of Marketing | GTM Strategy | Full-stack Marketing | Creative Leadership | Brand and Revenue Growth | Customer Acquisition | Retention and Loyalty | Canadian Hall Of Fame–Rowing
9 年Thank you Tamara for your wonderful thoughts. :) S
ReDesigning Education
9 年I always am touched by your mindful insight. Wearing an apple watch for the week has made these connections more frequent, instant == real! -just by removing the find my phone in my bag step. Keep connecting Saurabh!