The growing apps culture is a reflection of a broader trend in which mobile devices have become standard pathways to connect to the internet.  Over the past decade, desktop computers—once the mainstay of internet use in the U.S.—have steadily decreased in popularity.  At the same time, the use of mobile devices to connect to the internet has grown steadily, particularly among young adults.  In February of 2010, Pew Internet reported for the first time that laptops had overtaken desktops in popularity among 18-29 year-olds.

While this mobile charge was led by the shift from desktop to laptop computers, it has come of age with smartphones and now tablet computers.  In May 2011, Pew data showed that 35% of adults in the U.S. owned smartphones.