Life? There's an app for that(2)

Negative effects

Despite the convenience, experts warn that apps can also have a negative side. "The mobile Internet can benefit our daily lives. Apps can provide shortcuts in the way we do things and are convenient for dealing with daily affairs," said Dong Yan, an assistant professor at Renmin University of China's psychology department.

"But there's a problem we can't ignore. Many young people cling to their phones so they can check social networks or text messages every few minutes, and that can interfere with the normal process of working or studying," she added.

"Communicating or problem-solving via apps is quite different from contacting real people to tackle difficulties. To take an extreme example, say one day your map app fails, and you have to ask a real person for directions. You might not know how to approach a real person to broach the question politely and may end up causing offence. That would be because you've communicated lazily via your phone for a long time and have never developed interpersonal skills. When people become absorbed in playing game apps or reading in public spaces, they may easily forget their surroundings and subconsciously become indifferent to other people's needs."

It's a problem that has already occurred to Hou. "The most obvious downside is that they make people lazy and help them find excuses if they don't want to chat or go out. Many of my friends feel the same way. Apps narrow the distance between people through cyberspace, but can disrupt relationships in the real world," said Hou.

"I find the recent graduates who work at my company really amusing: When we go out for lunch or dinner, they just stare at their cellphones and rarely speak until the food is put on the table. When the dishes arrive, these people immediately take photos and upload them on micro blogs to share their views," he said.

"My interest in apps is almost morbid," said Li Weiwei, 26, a government employee in Wuhai in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region who has tried to break her apps addiction, but failed. "On several occasions, I've accidentally left my phone at home and felt nervous and uncomfortable the whole day. Take Sina Weibo (one of China's most popular micro-blogging websites) for example. I feel the impulse to log on and keep updating even when I go to the restroom. If I don't, I feel like I've been abandoned," she admitted.

The phenomenon is common among young people, especially students, as smartphones become increasingly affordable.

Gao Han, a student at Renmin University of China has been obsessed with apps since the beginning of 2011, and has more than 70 installed on his smartphone. Like many of his classmates, he uses apps to read books, visit websites, play games and communicate with friends. While appreciating that apps can provide a more-structured existence, Gao admits that the amount of time he spends with friends has fallen since he began using apps regularly. "It's not the apps' fault, the problem is people's lack of self-control," he said.

Face-to-face contact

Hou recommended a game he often plays with friends when they go out for meals. "We put our mobile phones in a pile and the person whose phone rings first has to pay the bill. And anyone who touches their iPad before the meal is finished has to share the bill. It's a really good way of avoiding the embarrassment caused when people sit together holding their phones and not talking," he explained.