#technologyandnature

Potential Con: The dangers of a false identification

In my research of smartphone species ID apps, I came across one type that experiences some controversy.  Apps centered on identifying mushrooms may aim to educate users on mushrooms and how to collect them, but experts are deeming them extremely dangerous (Rogers, 2017). Potential misidentifications could lead to consumption of toxic or hallucinogenic mushrooms (Mushrooms, n.d.).

While this controversy is centered around mushrooms, this danger can extend to plant ID’s when foraging for edible species.

Con: The lack of intimacy

This con is a bit more of my personal feelings on the apps, but hear me out on this one. As someone who has learned to identify species on sight through repetition and use of good old fashioned paper field guides, there is just something too impersonal and removed from the process in using a smartphone app. I feel less accomplished when an app guides me through the identification than when I am personally able to meet the challenge of finding a species in a paper guide. When we are confident that an app will give us the correct answer every time and make it easy for us to do so, why would we need to learn to remember the species? I liken this con to the debate over writing versus typing. While I can certainly type faster than I can write with a pen, studies have shown that typing results in lower comprehension and association of information (Aberšek, Aberšek, & Flogie, 2018). Furthermore, when an app allows users to send in images for expert identification there is no incentive for the user to constructively analyze the species. Even then, an accurate ID can be difficult depending on the quality of the image sent, and it may need multiple experts in order to validate it (Austen, Bindemann, Griffiths, & 

Pro: User-friendly

Smartphone apps have the flexibility of offering prompts to users to help them pick out the information needed to make an accurate species identification. These interfaces assist users unfamiliar with the nomenclature and specific characteristics that are used in the scientific field (Shrode, 2012).

An application can access location data and customize a subset of species for the user. While there are field guides available for different geographical areas, an app can contain large ranges and filter them down to suit the specific location of the user (Goldsmith et al., 2016). By only displaying relevant species, an app can increase the likelihood of an accurate species identification.

For apps like iNaturalist, users can even send in a picture of the species they are attempting to identify for identification by experts and citizen scientists (Van Horn et al., 2017).

Con: You’re using a cell phone

Yes, this was also listed as a pro, but here’s the other side of the coin.

Phones run on batteries. I can’t access my nature app if my phone is dead. My field guide would never fail me like that.

Apps need a connection. Whether I’m using Wi-Fi or a data plan, my mobile app can’t help me if I am disconnected. If I am out on a trail, I certainly won’t have Wi-Fi, and depending on my service provider, I might not have data available either. Also, data plans cost money and maybe I don’t have enough data to run my nature app and also use GoogleMaps to get home. You could get around this by downloading the database your app might run on, but it will probably cost you around $400 (Shrode, 2012).

Not all apps run on all operating systems. My phone is an Android, and a displeasing number of apps are only available for Apple operating systems, meaning I can’t even use them with my device.

While many apps are free and most others are reasonably priced, smartphones are becoming increasingly expensive, with the latest iPhone ringing in at $999.

Strengthening Our Connection Through Technology

While living in the age of the Internet of Things, we do not need to disavow technology in order to rediscover our connection to nature. Instead of polarizing the issue into sides for continuing to use electronics or for ditching the tech for wildlife, why not bring the technology with us into nature? By using our smartphones and the resources they provide, we can discover natural areas and use the multitude of apps at our disposal to educate ourselves and steer our own learning in the environment (Moreira, 2017). We can have the best of both worlds! 

Some apps, such as “Pokemon GO” or the soon-to-come “Harry Potter” version might get us outside, but don’t innately help us connect to our natural surroundings (Moreira, 2017).  However, many apps are designed to engage users outside! 

For people searching for a green area to enjoy, AllTrails has a catalog of over 50,000 trails for users to discover, while SwimGuide tells users which swimming spots have safe water quality (Richardson, 2014).

For those already outside, iBird Yard Plus (Apple) (Android) can help users identify the birds around them, while buddhify can help you relax and be mindful of the wildlife around you (Richardson, 2014).