Social media apps had recently received a rap on their knuckles. Facebook admitted that these apps could be awful for mental health.
Admittedly, social media apps lead to severe depression if you are only passively scrolling through posts, instead of actively interacting with friends. But then, the fact is, people can’t live without their smartphones, much fewer apps, and that businesses cannot survive without churning out more and more apps.
Enter self-care apps - currently a booming industry.
Apple reported self-care to be one of the trending topics in recent years. The company announced that it has been witnessing a surge in apps that are primarily focused on mental health, mindfulness, and stress reduction.
Source: Techcrunch
As per the data by app store intelligence firms, the category is seeing significant growth. According to Senser Tower, in 2018, the top-grossing self-care apps in the U.S. earned $15 million and $27 million worldwide revenue.
Currently, self-care apps can help us out in a variety of issues and ailments. For instance, Mend helps get over a breakup, while Moodnotes captures your mood and improves your thinking habits. Shine, on the other hand, offers daily motivational text service.
What’s more, thanks to these apps, smartphones are no more be likened to likes and filters but has become a source of one’s well-being.
Aloe Bud is one of the leading self-care apps of 2019. The app takes care of your overall health every day. As in, it sends nudges all through the day to remind you to drink water, eat, connect with friends, and more. The app encourages you to celebrate small wins.
Why Self-care App Industry is Booming
As mentioned above, the depressing nature of social media is one of the reasons that are leading to the growth of self-care apps. Also, it has been observed that millennials have become more aware of self-care, in general, because of the increased availability of informational resources on the web.
Plus, even the stigma around mental illness is declining, aiding in the self-care app surge.
Some Self-Care Apps You Should Check Out
Here are some self-care apps developed by Factorial Complexity:
DreamOn Sleep
The DreamOn Sleep app is one of the leading apps that help you fall asleep faster, and also makes you feel rested and relaxed when you wake up. The app even rates your sleep pattern with the aid of questionnaire and recommends ways to sleep better via various learning modules.
Pathways Pain Relief
It is your personal pain therapist that will take you on your journey to understanding why you feel pain, and work to break the pain cycle. You can track how your pain develops over time, and focus on the pain relief techniques that work for you.
The Commercial Side of Self-Care Apps
Presently, most of the self-care is not open for ad opportunities. Nevertheless, marketers are trying to explore whatever opportunities available.
Though the self-care app category is small, its highly scalable market given that apps focus on individuals. So advertisers need to identify these consumers and distribute messages that resonate with them.
For example, Headspace, a popular meditation app, has joined hands with JetBlue. Today the airline offers over a dozen meditation sessions, guided by Headspace app, as part of the inflight entertainment (IFE).
Nevertheless, going by the nature of this particular space, marketers need to apply extra sensitivity as these apps offer personal experience, and so the messages should be equally private and relevant. Read this research report by GoodFirms to find the approximate mobile app development cost.
Wrapping up
Before the arrival of self-care apps, CDs, books, and videos were popular for self-care activities. But, now, thanks to the wide-scale availability of self-care apps, people can quickly and discreetly achieve their well-being goals.
About Author
This is Jennifer Warren, staff writer at GoodFirms – a review and research platform for top ecommerce development companies, digital marketing companies, web development
companies among many others.
