Tag: mobile technology

Wearable devices could serve as a distraction for many

Wearable technology is set to go mainstream in just a few short years, and what that means for people’s daily lives is not yet certain. Early adopters of devices like smart watches and augmented reality glasses have found that these products are quite entertaining, which may present a problem when it comes to productivity. Because wearable devices allow for a more seamless integration into the digital space, the constant availability of entertainment and digital social interaction may prove quite distracting for some.

A recent study conducted in the United Kingdom by Goldsmiths, University of London, found that those using wearable devices could boost productivity by 8%. The study was focused on a media company with some 120 employees and the devices these people used were specifically designed to improve productivity, concentration, and posture. The study suggests that some devices could have a positive impact on productivity, but it also found that wearable technology led to a 9% decrease in alertness among the media company’s employees. These people did report a higher level of job satisfaction, however.

Most devices are not designed with productivity in mind

Not all wearable devices are designed with productivity in mind. Most are developed as entertainment products and social networking tools. Augmented reality glasses, for instance, are typically used as a platform through which digital media is consumed. Smart watches are also used for similar purposes, though these devices have limited features when compared to smartphones and tablets. These devices could be used by students, for example, for a wide range of purposes, but will likely be most popular as entertainment tools. For many people, these devices could lead to a drastic decrease in productivity.

Wearable devices leading to a decrease in productivity is not an issue that is guaranteed to happen. Like smartphones and tablets, wearable devices tend to have access to mobile applications. Some of these applications are designed specifically with productivity in mind. These apps can help cut back on distraction by limiting access to the Internet or preventing certain digital content from being viewed for a specified amount of time.

Consumers have little interest in mobile wallets, seeing them as relatively useless

In the U.S., consumers are finding the concept of mobile wallets difficult to understand. For several years, people have been using their smartphones and tablets for a variety of activities, including hailing cabs, purchasing products online, and reviewing products and services that they are interested in. For the most part, mobile wallets are never used for such activity, which has left many people wondering why these platforms are being so heavily promoted by companies participating in the mobile commerce space.

Wallets may not offer consumers the services that they are interested in using on a daily basis

Mobile wallets are quite straightforward in their purpose. These platforms are meant to serve as digital counterparts to physical wallets. As such, they store the financial information of their users as well as a wide variety of other digital content. All of this information can be easily accessed by users of mobile devices, but this convenience has done little to wind over the hearts of consumers. Those finding mobile wallets unnecessary are not able to see what these platforms offer than traditional wallets do not.

Falling support for wallet platforms may have a negative impact on mobile commerce

The relative malaise that people seem to have with mobile wallets has had an impact on mobile payments. Many companies specializing in mobile commerce have placed their hopes on mobile wallets. If these platforms are not being used, consumers are not likely to be making mobile payments. There are mobile commerce services that are not associated with wallet platforms, but many of the largest companies working in this sector are pushing for consumers to embrace the concept of mobile wallets.

Merchants are showing relatively low interest in mobile wallet platforms

Consumers are not the only ones that are showing disinterest in mobile wallets, of course. Merchants also have yet to be won over by the capabilities of wallet platforms. Many of these merchants are somewhat interested in mobile payments, but are not willing to support wallet platforms in order to accommodate mobile consumers.