'App potatoes' mobile applications may put brakes on internet

The Internet is under assault by mobile applications that connect people exclusively to content kept in "walled gardens" online, according to a US study.

While 59% of respondents felt that the web would continue to thrive, they also thought "apps" for gadgets such as smartphones and tablets would overtake an "anti-internet" used only to connect to services such as films or Facebook feeds.

"Instead of couch potatoes you'll have app potatoes. There will be again a digital divide. This one will be between those who will prefer to use ready-made applications and those who are building ways or searching on their own to find the needed solutions,” news.com.au quoted European Broadcasting Union’s head of institutional relations Giacomo Mazzone, as saying.

The survey respondents said Internet could give way to a hybrid model that combines open-ended quests for information or content with the use of "apps" tailored to plug efficiently into offerings hosted on online servers.

"Tech experts generally believe the mobile revolution, the popularity of targeted apps, the monetisation of online products and services, and innovations in cloud computing will drive web evolution. Some survey respondents say while much may be gained, perhaps even more may be lost if the 'appification' of the web comes to pass,” the study said.