Would You Like Fries with that App?

Since their introduction to mankind, apps have been proving to be a life changing force. There is, it seems, an app for everything nowadays. There are apps to purchase concert tickets, give you dispossible phone numbers, and calculate how much to tip your waiter. There’s even an app that tells you how long the wait lines are at Disney Parks (which is probably the most ingenious app out there, in my personal opinion).

So should we really be that surprised that there’s now an app to both order and pay for food from the comfort of your smartphone?

Thirty different McDonalds in France have begun to experiment with an app that allows its customers to order and pay for their meals over their iPhones and tablets, and then pick their orders up. This app is still in its trail period, but it seems highly likely that it is something that will catch on. All users need is the McDonalds Mobile app and a Paypal account set up on their smartphone.

According to CNN, “The trial is part of a rapidly growing consumer-service trend of skipping cash, and even credit cards, in favor of a quick tap from a mobile phone.” From the sound of this, we’re going to be seeing this technology advancement a lot in the future.

So what are the pros of this process? People are busy rushing from Point A to Point B, and while it is important to stop and smell the roses on occasion, sometimes it just can’t be helped. Food is a necessity. Some days you have no time to make food to bring with you, on top of you having so little time to go out and buy yourself food, which is what makes this app so handy. You can place your order before you even get to the restaurant. This is also an excuse to leave the wallet at home, if you’re trying to keep yourself on a budget.

The one big con for me is how this truly emphasizes humanities decline in socialization. Why call up a friend when you can IM or text them? Why go to a meeting when you can just do it over Skype? Why order at a McDonalds counter when you could put in an order over a phone without having to ever converse with another human being? Of course all these technology aspects were created with good intent. Skype allows family members in the military to see their children. Texting is great for forwarding addresses and photos to one another. So I’m not saying this new app doesn’t have potential to be a great advancement, I’m just worried that once McDonalds does it, how much longer do we have to wait until every restaurant/store chain does as well? Not only that, but are we so consumed with the “gotta have it, need to have it now” attitude that we can’t bear to stand in line and wait for five minutes for our meal to be made?

So will this app take off around the world? Without a doubt. It’s sure to be a big crowd pleaser; allowing customers faster service than ever before. Heck, it’s only a matter of time before other restaurants and stores follow suit and offer this payment option as well. Let’s just hope the world doesn’t lose complete perspective in where this app might lead us as a species.

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