Will @Google's new #mobile #tech save us? Will it help us be more #mindful and increase our well being?

It might sound terribly naïve but I believe it could. So Google’s latest moves interest me. And @BBCRadioStoke asked me for my thoughts so…Here we go.

So...Why would Google want to help us all become more MINDFUL?

For one...

Google - for a while - have been THAT brand.

They haven’t really shouted about it. But they did all the well being stuff as part of their offline culture for years. It’s how they keep some much of their tech talent. But what about outside of the company culture world. Why are Google looking to limit how much time we spend on our / their devices?

Isn’t that the opposite of what they are supposed to do?

They might have a point. We might be creating a world of TOO MUCH MOBILE. Worldwide, we spend an average of almost two hours per day on mobile. With 68% of smartphone users checking their phone within 15 minutes of waking in the morning. And 30% admit they get “anxious” without their phone. And yes I am one of them.

So why would Google want to stop such a moment. Two things.

One - we have to remember that mobile is a BIG ol’ world.

As in Oct 2016 over 50% of internet usage worldwide came from mobile. With around 5 billion on a mobile phone. To put that into context. 7 billion people on the planet. And around 3 billion of them on social media. And it’s social media where Google hasn’t quite cracked it yet. But few Google ex executives - are saying that they regret over their role in building addictive products. Facebook’s founding president, Sean Parker, said that the company has built a platform that exploited “a vulnerability in human psychology”.

Which might be true. But this sadly is a strength for Facebook NOT a weakness. As proven by their share price rebounding pretty much straight away. So Facebook has cracked social. By going mobile straight away – with Zuck announcing - many years ago.

"We are a MOBILE FIRST company."

Alphabet CEO Larry Page trumped that when he said that:

‘We are no longer living in a mobile first world, we are a mobile only world’.

Now Google need to be that. As they were almost late to the MOBILE FIRST party. And look what happened to Microsoft who missed that boat. As mobile has come of age. As the latest google survey reveals that global mobile internet usage now stands at 76%.

With individual markets ranging from 98% in Saudi Arabia, to 51% in Ukraine. Besides, mobile devices are now users’ device of choice. In 62 of the 63 markets surveyed, people say they turn to their mobile device to access the internet more than they turn to their desktop computer.

Now this is when 74% of people own a smartphone (of that 5 billion) and people now own an average of 3.3 connected devices.

BUT… In the UK we still like a desktop.

But we are a bit odd. We represent one end of the spectrum. With a strong ‘desktop heritage’ and multiplicity of device types. Yet, a country like Indonesia presents a very different set of characteristics. With no strong tradition of desktop internet access, between 2013 and 2017, internet usage grew from 29%1 to 56%1. With smartphone usage growing from 14%1 to 60%1 over the same period. During that time, better mobile infrastructure and better devices boosted daily internet users by a large margin. From 49%2 in 2013 to 79%2in the present day.

The new world will be mobile. And google knows this. But why try to stop people being on their mobiles?

The second key reason – is something people don’t think about.

Google is a search engine. I know you know that. But wait for it. A search engine that doesn’t want you on the site long. In fact, it prides itself on how quickly you LEAVE Google. And again Google knows this. And that when it comes to product research, 28% of people use their mobile to look for advice, 32% for comparison, and 46% for inspiration. It’s a quick emotional response game.

Mobile is also changing the WAY consumers shop. Which is has been for years. It’s what we train companies in at www.greatmarketingworks.co.uk. And so now 76% of people who search on their smartphone for something nearby visit a related business within a day. And 28% of those searches result in a purchase. Mobile is helping us "go local" with Google searches with 'near me' have tripled year-over-year in 2016.

So Google know it’s all about speed and mobile. And to do this. They need to have data. And clever AI. Which is where they have their own competitors. Especially mobile phone wise in their race against Apple et al. i.e. with AI and the poaching of google AI boss to save Siri. They would have had a competitor with Deep Mind too. But they cleverer bought that.

One company they cannot buy is Facebook – which has the biggest mobile phone apps in the world. Which is big news as 90% of our time is spent in apps. So they have to bring down Facebook a peg or two. Facebook is also likely to win the VR world as well as social so they have to do something.

And the only people they fear - I believe is Facebook. Facebook who are doing so badly at PR and data at the moment. That Zuck has to even to apologise. So whilst other technology companies are being scrutinised for the habit-forming design practices that encourage people to spend more time on their devices. Such as infinite scrolling, notifications and other behavioural “nudges”. Google looks great by going the other way.

Is the third reason... good ol' fashioned PR?

I don’t think so. It’s more than that. Google needs data. And even though it might feel like less mobile time is less data. It’s actually more. Google actually collects more data about you. And Google needs that data. So it gives you more reasons to buy Google. Google might need some killer features for another reason. Google must give people a reason to update their technologies. And their operating systems. As they need to bring everyone together to upload the latest updates. Which people aren’t really up for.

It also might be pressure from governments i.e. Jeremy Hunt and his letter to the BIG TECH COMPANIES. But I doubt that. I hope that. But I doubt that.

WELL BEING FOR US ALL?

So this push to be more about well being. Well… it makes sense. Google also has a training programme to help kids stay safe online called Be Internet Awesome. The programme covers how to be mindful of one’s online reputation, avoid scams, protect privacy, report inappropriate content and deal with online harassment.

As they say Google is:

“committed to giving everyone the tools they need to develop their own sense of digital wellbeing. So that life, not the technology in it, stays front and center.”

We all need to be digitally mindful and technology could help us do so. The latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, Android P helps people better understand their tech usage. By showing how much time you spend using specific apps each day. How many times you unlock your phone and how many notifications you receive. Users can set time limits on specific apps. And they will get a warning when they are close to their allocation.

However, the company also announced a longer handful of updates to help developers building subscription-based apps. Which are a major time drain for people and potentially addictive. So the messages are mixed.

But in their defense. The company has also introduced features to YouTube. So that users can see how many hours of content they have watched across their phones and desktop computers. They can also schedule “custom breathers” to encourage them to step away from devices. Which is a bit like - Netflix – another competitor has ALWAYS done.

So is any of this new? We have always have apps that can monitor our technology useage. What’s the BIG difference with Google either incorporating them or copying them for their operating system?

The BIG difference / reason is around AI. And changing the way we use our phones.

As Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated at the developer conference.

“We just can’t be wide-eyed about the innovations technology creates,” he said. “The path ahead needs to be navigated carefully and deliberately.”

But nicely spotted by Variety in that… “Pichai didn’t talk about YouTube’s repeated problems with recommending inappropriate content. He didn’t talk about Google’s algorithms surfacing false stories from conspiracy websites. And he didn’t talk about the company’s own data collection policies.”

Instead he announced amazing data collecting devices. Some around Google Lens. As his company wants to incorporate real-time results into the Lens app. So that users can see information about objects in their camera view automatically on the screen.

Not just as reported in the Daily Mail. To convert family photos from black and white to colour. Which is cute. But we have to remember the power of the AI that is doing that. And that by giving them our visual data we are helping them create a more powerful AI machine.

The firm has been working hard to make Google Lens even smarter. Google's goal is to make Lens a 'visual browser for the world around you', according to Wired. To that end, Google is furthering that cause by bringing Lens to more smartphones. Not surprising with the Blippar App doing the same function across platforms.

Google knows the next race – is AI and visual data.

Turning your phone into something else. Proven by another new tool called Style Match which lets you hold your camera up to mannequin or clothing item. And it will show you options for similar items.

'Sometimes your question isn't what's that exact thing, it's what are things like it,'

Chennapragada the key developer said. No sugar sherlock. Which is very similar to Amazon’s magic mirror – isn’t it. Something I blogged about before.

Or is the next race is AI and VOICE?

And this where google has made some BIG moves. As Google’s virtual assistant can now make phone calls on your behalf to schedule appointments, make reservations in restaurants and get holiday hours.

As reported in other blogs. It seems like a significant upgrade from the automated phone systems. Most people have interacted with. The natural interaction is enabled by advancements in automatic speech recognition. Text-to-speech synthesis and an understanding of how humans pace their conversations. The CEO - Pichai said the tool was useful for the

“60% of small businesses in the US. That don’t already have an online booking system.”

Imagine how many companies worldwide this will help? Imagine how many people. And how many phones it will sell. Imagine if it mixes with AI systems like X.ai. that pretends to be your sectary and books meetings for you. As their principal engineer Yaniv Leviathan wrote in a blogpost about the technology putting it mildly.

“Businesses can operate as they always have. There’s no learning curve or changes to make to enjoy this technology,”

Making it about perfect for adoption - in an instant.

And wiping out a billion-dollar industry in one go.

Clever Google. Clever.

So is Google really making moves to help us all become better people – or just making a better business. You know I don’t know for sure. But I have a feeling....

Join me with Liz Ellis and John Acres at Breakfast on BBC Radio Stoke on May 10th at 745am to discuss it all.

And do... have your say below :)

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About the Author:

Dan Sodergren is a professional trainer and speaker. He is a digital marketing trainer based in Manchester with Great Marketing Works. He specialises in mobile and social marketing with ideas ranging from augmented reality, to RTB and back again.

He trains companies and individuals in digital, social and mobile marketing. He also sometimes gets to talk about it all on radio and is even occasionally on the BBC.

He is now an early stage investor in MACAWLY and in Be Free Of Type2D.