Forty-two
percent of Black Friday shoppers placed their orders via smartphone this year, while 49%
used a laptop or desktop computer, according to Fortune magazine. That marks
the first time computers accounted for less than half of all online orders made
the day after Thanksgiving.
As
mobile gains on the shopping front, the same is happening in the classroom. Although
students still prefer laptops to mobile devices, that preference may tip in
mobile’s favor in as little as three years if ownership trends and technological
advances continue at their current pace, according to the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
In
2010, 88% of U.S. adults aged 18-29 owned a computer, but that number had dropped
to 78% by 2015. At the same time, smartphone ownership in that age group surged
from zero in 2010 to 86% by 2015, and tablet ownership shot from 5% to 50% over
the same period. As mobile devices become capable of doing more things that
computers do, they are likely to supplant them as devices of choice.
The
iPhone 7’s A10 Fusion chip is reportedly 120 times faster than the original
iPhone chip, and by 2018, smartphones are forecast to be able to handle 4K
streaming and virtual reality. Phones’ current shortcomings regarding connectivity and
storage will diminish as tech advances, but some analysts believe that the
digitally connected Internet of Things may ultimately replace both PCs/laptops
and mobile devices.
In
the meantime, expect to see mobile make significant inroads as classroom
technology, which means school districts and higher-ed institutions need to
ensure their resources are mobile-friendly. Educators may also need to modify
their teaching methods, in some cases serving less as instructor and more as
facilitator of students’ self-directed learning efforts.