#KUWTK: Keeping up with the apK's 🙃

The world of technology is constantly evolving. Today, it appears there is an app for almost everything. From ordering food to booking holidays, from buying cosmetics to buying cars and houses. The ubiquitous nature of apps is transcending basic productivity and social engagement to other more conservative fields like medicine and education.

I recently discovered a stress management tool recommended by therapists. It requires the patient to use detailed coloring to focus the mind on something other than the source of stress in the process reducing the impact of stress on the mind and body.

Guess what? There are multiple apps for that! There are also educational games for children of all ages, apps for staying organized, I even found a special app for communicating and sharing strictly between couples called “Between”. the list goes on.

With all that is going on, it is very easy to get overwhelmed and either trying to block it all out or claim it is all too complex but that approach may be detrimental. For how long did our parents look at Facebook with disdain? Today most people’s parents are on Facebook or WhatsApp at the very least, in some cases both! You don’t want to feel like a dinosaur who finally figured out what Instagram is after the entire world had moved on.

Now, while ordering food from an app on your phone may not rock your boat, there are several tools and apps which exist today and could positively impact your day to day. In my article about the impact of technology on the recession, I mentioned my top five apps/tools. That was about a month ago, I have already in the last 3-4 weeks updated that list. Here’s why, I try to learn something new as often as possible.

The only way to stay abreast of the rapidly changing world is to adopt a learning attitude. Nothing should be too complex, too difficult or too strange for you to try to learn a little bit about it. It does not have to be something you use unless of course it is relevant and even if you decide it makes no sense (like Snapchat, in my humble opinion) at least you know what it is, what it does and what it can be used for.

On a self-critical note, I had one of those dinosaur moments this week, everyone knows about Pinterest. It was around before Instagram I believe. When the app launched, I read a couple of tech news stories about it and moved on. I decided it wasn’t worth my time and that was it.

Today, a very insightful colleague and I got talking about Pinterest and she was going on about all the wonderful stuff she does with Pinterest. I got curious and decided to give Pinterest another go, suffice it to say that less than an hour later, I had my profile set up, downloaded the app on my phone, created three boards and started receiving email notifications about additional things I might be interested in. I think I may have found my newest app addiction but it is too soon to tell. Ask me again in a month.

The bottom-line is, our world is filled with a lot of crazy, wacky new things and ideas and curiously exploring this changing world may be well worth your while.
Happy new year and happy new month of February everyone! Happy exploring!