Software engineer Trisha Bhatia wakes up to the shrill sound of her phone alarm, starts a exercise routine with the aid of an app-based fitness trainer such as Healthifyme or Fitbit that provides her all the details of her workout routine, orders groceries and vegetables from Big Basket or Grofers or Zop now, books a cab to work with taxi apps such as Ola or Uber and books movie tickets on bookmyshow using her phone.
It’s all at her fingertips. She says, “I am very dependent on these app-based services. I no longer have to worry about finding a gym near my home, do not need to bargain with the neighbourhood vendors and no longer need to worry about leaks in the plumbing. It is very convenient and saves a lot of time and energy.”
Trisha is among the growing number of Bengalureans who use apps for fulfilling all their chores and activities. Is this overdependence on apps making us lazy? Is the takeover of our lives by smartphones and the multitude of apps a good thing?
Prashant Pandey, a data analyst at a firm in Electronics City says, “I am a big fan of apps and the services they offer, especially those that ensure grocery deliveries. My apartment is located at least six kilometres from the nearest grocery store. Something like Big Basket or Grofers is really helpful to me. I do not think it is making us lazy. It is cutting down on time wastage and I feel that such services are the future of shopping. Having said that, I do not think that regular brick and mortar stores or fitness centres will shut down. You cannot go to an app and buy a toothbrush instantly.”
Marketing professional Abhinav Sinha is a huge fan of these apps.
“I am a lazy person and these apps are a godsend. I no longer have to worry about rushing out to buy groceries or vegetables at the last minute or stand in a line to get the tickets to the latest blockbuster. Apart from the commute to work, I can get everything done without moving an inch from the sofa.”
Bengaluru-based Fitness trainer Wanitha Ashok contends: “I am not a big fan of online fitness apps. It is very important for the trainer to meet the person they are training. Often, egged on by apps, people end up doing exercises incorrectly and that can lead to injuries. Apps that provide information on food items are fine; complete dependence on fitness apps must not be encouraged.”
Nicole Panesar contends: “I am a fan of online shopping, especially groceries. The quality is always good and it is delivered on time. I do not need to wait for ages at the cash counter and bother carrying bags home. I use a local grocery store in case I need something urgently or have forgotten to order it from services.”
Psychologist Shankar Prasad says: “Apps are useful at times and very convenient. However, these devices are making us socially isolated, especially since the need for actual face to face interaction has come down dramatically. When everything from ordering food and groceries to getting a guy to fix a leaky pipe can be done with a few clicks, any physical activity would appear to be a chore and the personal touch would be missing.”
Dealing with packages
Home maker Sindhu Pawar believes that app based services such as Big Basket and Zopnow are a blessing. However, she is tired of managing the multitude of packaging that end up at her place. “It would be simpler if I did not have to deal with the small boxes and packages while buying groceries or ordering food using these apps. I tend to shop more when I do not have to worry about carrying it back home.”
Popular Apps
* Bigbasket
* Grofers
* Urban Ladder
* Pepper Fry
* Zomato
* Freshmenu
* Bookmyshow
