Apps for Everything

By Max Rosenberg
Staff Writer

Efficiency is key for Manhattan Beach residents with busy lifestyles. Therefore, residents use numerous apps in order to accomplish daily tasks. These “on-demand” apps range from food delivery services to people that can walk your dog at the click of a button.

Some of the main apps used by Manhattan Beach residents include Door Dash and Grubhub, food delivery apps, Wag, an app used to walk your dog, and Envi, a waterless car washing service that allows users to find someone to clean their car.

Manhattan Beach residents utilize a wide variety of apps that allow them to have someone else help them with daily necessities. While apps can be helpful for simple chores, they can take away from people’s experiences when used to replace activities that would otherwise be social situations.

Going to meals can be social when eating with friends, colleagues, or family members. However, Door Dash user and Mira Costa Sophomore Ryan Demarest said that the app would make him and his friends more likely to stay at home when they know they could just get delivery.

In addition, Envi allows the app user the possibility of having no human interaction if they are only having the exterior washed. The app owner punches in the car’s model, license plate, and color, and can remain at home throughout the entire process.

According to President and Founder of Envi Chad Zani, the company currently washes the majority of the cars at people’s workplaces. He said that people almost always come out when the employee has to be let into the car, but when they are only detailing the outside it is less so.

A logical solution to this problem could be that people try to use “on-demand” apps when they are in a rush, rather than a complete replacement for walking their dog or eating out with friends and family.

This would prove beneficial because of the time that it would set aside for families and friends to be together. In fact, a study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that students who regularly eat with their parents are much more likely to attend their classes.

Additionally, the number of “no-show” reservations is at an average of eighteen percent despite the estimated American restaurant industry sales to reach its highest point by the end of 2015. The food is still being bought, however there are less and less consumers eating in the restaurants.

While users of “on-demand” apps lose social opportunities, one could argue that these convenience apps allow the employees more opportunities. However, it has become evident that when washing a car or bringing someone food, the rare conversations started are often short, and while walking a dog lets employees get out, they have no freedom of the route they take.

Overall, the “on-demand” apps take away responsibility and encourage the users to miss out on otherwise “social” experiences. The apps allow the user to have significantly less direct human interaction and this consequently causes people to lose simple social skills.