· Too Much Screen Time
Every week I get a report on my phone of my weekly “screen time.” I’m always astonished. Three hours a day? That’s not possible, is it? I mean, yeah, I use my phone for news updates, checking the weather, and keeping up with my calendar. Every day I spend twenty minutes on Duolingo with my French lessons. Then there are the evenings I’m watching Netflix on my phone. And, oh yeah, the videogames.
On vacations I’m shooting photographs, using Yelp, and ordering rides from Uber. When I’m curious about any number of things, or arguing with the French Girlfriend about facts, it’s Google time. Youtube offers entertainment. I frequently check my bank balance. Standing in line at the grocery store or for tickets somewhere, or perhaps waiting for the GF to get ready to go, I’ll open up Kindle. Then there are times I’m rummaging through my Twitter feed, following friends on Facebook, or looking at the latest pics of my grandkids my daughter posted on Google photos. And let’s not get into the Amazon shopping.
I have 133 apps on my cellphone. Sometimes finding the right one takes as long as the time I spend on it. Wouldn’t it be great if they could be consolidated into one?
· Weixin
I’m bringing this up because I recently read about an app that the Chinese use that features an all-in-one site called Weixin (pronounced “way-shin”). Initially set up in 2011 as a WhatsApp type service, it expanded to be a combination of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and eBay. Heck, you can do anything you want there, from shopping, to calling a taxi, to sending flowers to loved ones (or in China, “red envelopes” stuffed with cash). Within three years it had 300 million users and a net worth of over a hundred billion dollars! Now they’re up to 1.2 BILLION monthly users. That’s over 15% of the total world’s population. Makes me feel like I’m missing out, right?
A feature I found particularly appealing about Weixin is its personalization. Some people only want the shopping aspects, others have interest in news and sports. The app is designed for easy customization. I suppose this app appealed particularly well to the Chinese culture, with their trust in authority and close-knit social systems. It still works for other cultures, of course, but Americans may have more of a “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” mentality.
Wouldn’t it be neat to have such an app on my own phone? I could open this single app and let it handle all my life’s needs. I imagine my screen time would go from three hours a day to … what? Six? Ten? I can hear the French Girlfriend now, tugging on my sleeve. “Fee-leep? Fee-leep! Pay attention to ME!” Hmm. Maybe not such a great idea after all.
· The Fine Print
For those interested in downloading the app, it’s called WeChat in English for International users and Weixin in China. However, the WeChat version doesn’t have the wallet hooked up to bank accounts that Weixin offers, so is much more limited. You can download the app here: https://web.wechat.com. For more perspective on the app, I recommend this blog by my fellow student, Ryan Shippy: https://ryanshippyblog.wordpress.com/2021/06/13/weixin-the-all-in-one-app/
I hope you enjoy my blogs. If so, please subscribe here. If interested, my twitter address is @PhilipLLevin and you can follow with a sign up at the bottom of this page.