Whether we like it or not, apps now run the way we live our lives, from how we shop, entertain ourselves and take care of all that pesky life admin, you can safely say “there’s an app for that” to pretty much everything. But what are the most popular apps that millennials are using today, and what can they tell us about the lifestyle habits of the younger generations? Here’s a round-up of the most popular apps for millennials in 2018.
Socialising
No matter what age you are, you can probably say that at least a part of your social life is conducted online, whether it’s via Facebook events pages, Whatsapp messaging or Tinder dates. But in 2018, this rings truer than ever with the digital generation, with numerous apps having risen to cover every possible aspect of hanging out and romantic encounters. For dating apps, the heavy hitters like Tinder and Grindr have given way to more specialised platforms as users tend to search for more specific experiences when meeting new people. There are now apps which cater to individual’s political views (such as CandiDate), body type preferences (e.g. apps like Scruff or Bristlr for those into hairy guys), occupational preferences and a whole other host of niche factors which means that in 2018, people are more discerning than ever when it comes to new people.
Entertainment
Apps have arguably made the biggest strides into the entertainment industry, where heavy-hitting platforms like Netflix and Hulu have undercut the traditional film and TV industries in ways no-one expected. One of the biggest emerging trends among young people is undoubtedly one of convenience, with the biggest new entertainment apps all being more mobile-friendly than ever and most importantly, using low amounts of data. There are emerging music apps which are specially designed to reduce data usage, such as rap star Jay Z’s Tidal app and Rhapsody, which is on its way to catching up with more established platforms like Spotify. Entertainment apps have proven to be an effective way to open up industries to young people that their demographic may typically not be interested in, with e-book reading apps having recently been credited for an explosion in reading among millennials.
Similarly, new apps are gaining ground that are transforming various entertainment sectors in order to make them more appealing to young people. For example, although traditionally popular entertainments like playing the lottery are less associated with millennials, apps are changing that quickly, so that as well as being able to stream pop hits, you can also buy lottery tickets right up until it’s drawn or read Tolstoy books via your iPhone. Given how dramatically apps have transformed entertainment in the last couple of years alone, we can expect to see industries across the sector adapt to become more mobile-friendly and convenient.
Lifestyle
Probably one of the best things about the age of the app is that previously complicated and burdensome errands can be done at the touch of a screen. People can order their groceries, deliver food, pay bills, take an eye test, book accommodation and buy train tickets from user-friendly apps, and that is without a doubt the greatest advantage of this new era.
