Digital natives, Gen Zers and Millennials are digital natives who grew up immersed in the internet. They are known as the tech-savvy generation that embraces digital apps and services at every angle. In fact, most users of social media are those who have grown up with these platforms. Hence, they tend to trust them and engage with them extensively. Apps offer everything from entertainment to education and news. Users check such apps on a daily basis, so viral apps gain more traction than a niche app that is not used by many people. Nevertheless, there is always an impact of a viral app on users which may be positive or negative, depending on the case. This article highlights the social and cultural impact of viral apps for Gen Zers and Millennial users
What Are Viral Apps?
A viral app is a social or cultural phenomenon that is often discussed in digital media. Viral apps are those that get massive reach through social media and gain popular traction because of a large number of users who are engrossed in sharing or commenting about the app. Apps that gain traction through word of mouth are examples of viral apps.
Why Is a Social or Cultural Impact Important to Consider?
Virality is the process of a product or a concept “going viral”. It has been noticed that the apps that go viral are also those that impact users in a social and cultural way. For instance, a social media app that gets more than 1 million downloads in a specific country is considered as a viral app. In the same manner, a social media platform that has a large number of users and is used by them for a large number of activities is also considered as a viral app.
Benefits of Virality in Apps
– Increased Reach : The concept of virality is often associated with “going viral”. Hence, apps that achieve a high level of popularity via social media are usually deemed to go viral. For example, a photo-editing app that gets popular through word of mouth gets more than 1 million downloads in a few months is considered as a viral app. Similarly, a mobile app that is used for a large number of activities across the globe is deemed to be a viral app. You would be surprised to know that a lot of apps that are used by a small number of people are deemed to achieve a high level of popularity when a large number of users share about the app on social media. – Increased Revenue : Viral apps are also associated with increased revenue. For example, an app that is associated with an influencer is deemed to get more revenue. Similarly, a game that is associated with a large number of people is expected to charge a higher amount for in-app purchases. – Increased Customer Loyalty : Viral apps are also associated with a lot of customer loyalty. For example, an app that is associated with a large number of branded products is expected to get a lot of customer loyalty. Similarly, an app that provides accurate information is also expected to get customer loyalty. – Increased Positive Reviews : App stores are filled with app reviews that are mostly negative in nature. A social app that has a large number of users who praise the app is indicative of an app achieving a high level of popularity. – Increased Trust : An app that is associated with millions of users is deemed to gain a lot of trust. For example, a food app that is associated with millions of users is expected to get a lot of trust. Similarly, an app that provides accurate information is also associated with a lot of trust. – Greater Innovation : Apps that are associated with a large number of users are expected to bring new innovation. For example, a travel app that is associated with a large number of users is expected to bring new innovation. Similarly, an app that engages people in a social way is expected to bring new innovation. – Greater Diversity : App stores are filled with various types of apps. A social app that is associated with various types of activities is expected to bring diversity in the app market. – Greater Creative Innovation : If a social app is associated with a large number of creative users, it is expected to bring creative innovation in the app market.
Negative Effects of Virality in Apps
– Coarseness in Language : Users of social media platforms are generally young and tech-savvy individuals. Therefore, social media apps that are associated with a coarse level of language are often associated with a low level of popularity. – Too Much of the Same Thing : Apps that are associated with a large number of activities are associated with a large number of users. Therefore, such apps are often associated with a large number of negative effects. – Too Much of the Same Theme : An app that is associated with multiple themes is often associated with a large number of negative effects. – Too Many Advertisement : Apps that are associated with a large number of advertisements are often associated with a low level of popularity. – Too Many Pop-Ups : An app that comes up with a large number of pop-ups is often associated with a large number of negative effects. – Too Much of the Same Developer : An app like this is often associated with a low level of popularity. – Too Much of the Same Publisher : An app that is associated with a large number of publishers is often associated with a low level of popularity.
Conclusion
Virality is the key to success for any app. It is one of the most important factors for the success of any app and a factor that contributes greatly to its influence and popularity across the globe. Therefore, it is important to look for a high level of popularity for any app. A social media app that gets large reach and popularity through social media is likely to be associated with a large number of benefits in the social and cultural sense. However, it is important to note that such an app may also be associated with a large number of negative effects. All these factors need to be taken into consideration while we discuss the social and cultural impact of viral apps for Gen Zers and Millennial users.