What’s Your App Count?

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Torsten Dettlaff

Have you ever kept track of the technology you use in a day? I did a little experiment to keep a record of all the apps and websites I use in an average day. The results were fascinating. I had no idea how many apps and online tools I use as an educator, a Master’s student, and a millennial. It made me realize just how much I value technology and use it on a day-to-day basis. Not only do I use it for educational purposes, but I also use technology to connect with my friends and family. One of the first things I do in the day is check my text messages. Why? Because I want to check in and connect with those around me… especially now when I can’t see them in a physical setting. I am grateful for the ability to connect with my loved ones through technology.

I was curious how many apps other people use in the day, so I took my question to Twitter. Little did I know that my “app” count might be a little higher than most. Do I feel bad for the amount of technology I use during my day? Absolutely not. However, on Twitter, Trevor replied and brought up an interesting point. He said, “have you tracked your screen time at all?” Even though I use apps and websites to better my teaching and learning, I think it’s still important for me to be aware of my screen time and take breaks when needed.

To further my “app count” experiment, I documented my day and compiled the apps and online tools that I use in a short video. My final app count was 33… and I probably even missed a few! Check out the video and then let me know if you can relate. I would love to know your “app count” in an average day. Enjoy!

-Amanda

20 thoughts on “What’s Your App Count?”

  1. Great video Amanda. Sorry to hear about the internet outage.

    Your tweet really got my thinking about how apps have become a major part of our lives. There’s literally an app for everything! As we’ve moved into online learning, I’ve been thinking about my personal screen time over the past two months. Between the hours spent mindlessly scrolling through Insta and time spend on Seesaw, I can only imagine how high that screen time number is getting.

    Thanks for the great post.

    Liked by 2 people

  2. My very first thought – I was extremely impressed with what you accomplish in a day. Are you a super human? How do you focus so well!!??
    I feel if I made this video I would open each of these applications multiple times… I have such good intentions but my brain always seems to have as many tabs open as my browser. I have started to track my screen time on my iPhone too – but I feel like it’s not necessarily an accurate reflection as it seems I am usually either staring at my computer or my cell phone for a variety of work/graduate/social reasons.

    Thanks for sharing, I wish I had considered a video!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for reading! You are too funny, no I am not superhuman. I just love using technology, but trust me, the video took longer to make than I anticipated. I’m glad you enjoyed it though!

      Liked by 1 person

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  5. Hello Amanda. Thank you for sharing such an ambitious project. I was absolutely amazed by watching it; I wasn’t even aware of some of the apps you use. I have shared that I am naive when it comes to social media, and that I am behind the status quo in technology use but then when I reflected, I realized how much I depend on technology. I don’t think we realize how many times we check the time, or set a timer, basic tasks that make our days run more smooth. The world may have slowed down but our use of technology has definitely sped up. Bravo!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for reading and watching the video! You are so right. Basic apps on our phones make life a lot easier. I’m glad I’m not the only one who depends on technology!

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  6. Thanks, you always write blogs that make me think. I love the way you also use Twitter to enhance your work you do. Trevor made a great point about checking screen time. It was kind of funny you said your millennial I’m more of a boomer haha. I use technology quite a bit and it’s interesting in this day and age to know how we are using it. (or is it using us?) As a matter of fact as I’m reading blogs and I’m trying something new… I’m recording my response on my notes app on my phone which is a neat (but as go through the translation I need to speak clearer haha) Thank you again for sharing and making me think about my usage. At this time you got me thinking .. I’m using it too much or is it all is it really advantageous? You give me a lot of questions to ponder thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for reading Dean! You always make me think with the innovative ways you do things… like using voice to text for commenting. I like that idea! I’m glad my video and post made you think. Thanks for checking it out!

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  7. Great post Amanda! When I saw your tweet I also decided to keep track of the number of apps that I use in a day. After watching your video it is crazy to think about how much we rely on technology. As Dean mentioned your post also has me questioning. Are we doing ourselves a disservice by utilizing all the technology? How will this impact us in the future? How will technology change to continue to automate our days?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for reading and watching, Curtis! I am curious what your app count was in the end. Those are some important questions to think about. I think we are enhancing our lives by using technology, but we definitely need to be aware of how we are using it and how much.

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  8. Loved watching the video! You really made me think about my day and all the apps I regularly visit yet hadn’t even considered counting them! Is it because I use them so often and they are such a part of my day even before COVID that I don’t view them as being online? You really got me thinking about that. When I wrote my blog post I was only considering the tools I use to complete my job yet so many of the others I use are helping me do my job.
    Love that your podcasts are done in your closet. Obviously gives you the best sound because they always sound amazing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for reading and watching Laurie! Sometimes I forget about all the apps I use because they are so ingrained into what I do in a day. Also, yes, my closet produces the best sound for podcasts! I was wondering if anyone would notice that 🙂

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  9. Loved this post, Amanda! When I first saw your question on Twitter I thought my App Count was really low; I would have assumed 5 or 6 at the most. However, I forgot just how habitual some app usage is that I don’t even recognize I use them anymore! The alarm app and notes apps are just 2 examples that I use daily that I would have totally forgotten to count in my total. I have tracked my screen time usage for a while now, and it is something I have chosen to become more conscious of now that I spend a lot more time on the computer with teaching remotely. That being said, I am going to track my app use this week to see just how high that is, and try and include all of those sneaky ones that have become a habit and I don’t really process. Thanks for the eye-opener!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Amanda,
    Your video made me realize how much we use apps throughout the day. When I saw your tweet, I thought I don’t use many apps in a day as I was thinking this meant Facebook, Instagram, etc. Your video showing your complete day showed me that I use way more than I thought. The clock app, weather app, phone app, message app, calendar app, I never really thought of as apps. I feel silly typing that! They are a part of my day I don’t think of at all. So far today I have used 29 apps on my phone. That sounds high to me but looks like it is pretty common. Thank you for the challenge, it was fun to learn through you! 🙂
    Christina

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for reading and watching, Christina! I am glad I’m not the only one with a high app count! That’s impressive. I’m glad you were able to learn and take away something from the post 🙂

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