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National App Day: New Jersey App Use at an All-Time High

Author Joel Katz
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 12: A woman wears a navy blue jacket, and looks an app on her phone in New York City.

We use them every day. If you’re on your phone or PC, you’re on some sort of app. The question is, “How much time do we spend on them?” Also, “Which ones do we use the most and spend the most time on?”

Today is National App Day, and there is new research about the internet habits of New Jersey residents regarding app use.

New Jersey App Use

When it comes to New Jersey, a new survey of 1,500 people by MattressNextDay, has revealed that New Jerseyans spend nearly four hours a day scrolling social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and X. That puts us sixth on the list and tied with New York of states that use apps the most. Pennsylvania is fifteenth with just over three hours a day.

How many hours per day throughout the week do you spend using mobile applications on your smartphone or tablet such as TikTok, Instagram, etc?

Most Popular Apps

Americans use Facebook the most at 74.2%. That’s followed by Instagram, TikTok, and X. Then there’s Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp.

Regarding the most addicting apps, Senior Social Media Manager, Kenny Metham says, “Any app where you can watch videos is the most distracting.” For example, TikTok’s algorithm shows you content based on things you’ve watched before, so it learns what you like to keep you on the platform longer. That’s why spending hours scrolling is so easy because every video is tailored to you. YouTube is also distracting because the content is in a longer form.

He also pointed out that “The platforms have clever ways of keeping you on their app. The longer you spend, the more advertisements you see and the more money they make.”

When asked why they feel the need to scroll, the top reasons were revealed. More than half at fifty-six percent say they use them to wind down. Fifty-one percent claim they’re responding to messages. Nearly one-third shared that it satisfies their FOMO or “Fear of Missing Out.”

Phone and app usage is at an all-time high. Dr. Deborah Lee talked about the impact this could have on Americans and how to form a healthy sleeping pattern.

“It’s important to not use any blue light devices more than two hours before bed. They inhibit the release of the sleep hormone, melatonin. Phone usage and constant interruptions during sleep can lead to insomnia and sleep deprivation.”

She also said that many don’t realize they have SMA or Social Media Addiction which can be damaging to the brain. This is why it’s important to limit usage to avoid becoming addicted.

For best effects on sleep, “Get up at the same time every morning and flood the bedroom with natural light. Ideally, go for a walk as the brain needs to appreciate the difference between daylight and darkness. This helps to support your Circadian rhythms and natural production of melatonin as the light fades in the evening.”

You can find the full study here.

Celebrities Who Have Verified Instagram Accounts For Their Pets

We all know those people who have accounts for their babies or pets. Did you know even Hollywood A-listers take part in that, too? It doesn’t matter if you’re famous or not — if someone feels as though they’ve got some cuteness overload to share, there will be a page dedicated to that. We must admit, it is kind of charming for grown adults to run pages of cute content from the perspective of their furry friends. Some celebrities’ pets have enough followers that their accounts have been verified on Instagram, while others are still steadily climbing in popularity to gain enough followers to get that blue checkmark.

For example, Paris Hilton has an entire Instagram dedicated to all of her “fur kids,” called Hilton Pets (@hiltonpets). The heiress has more than just dogs, which most people don’t know. On her official website, the Simple Life alum has a page dedicated to all the pets she currently has and once had. This includes miniature pigs, ponies, ferrets, monkeys, cats, and bunnies — oh my! Paris even has a verified TikTok account with the funniest and cutest videos featuring her adorable pets.

@hiltonpets

Collecting brunch fees from Diamond Baby 💓🐕💎 @hiltonpets 😂 #inventinganna

♬ ah already wahd you the mahneeyyy by jules - jules

Benefits of Having a Pet

Studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets is linked to several health benefits, according to the CDC. Pets can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship. When cats purr, they emit a range of 20-140 Hz, which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses and lower stress. Most households in the United States have at least one pet.

Keep scrolling to see which celebrities have verified Instagram accounts for their adorable pets.

  • Paris Hilton

    Paris said goodbye to her furry companion, Harajuku Bitch after 23 years in May 2023. In 2015, the heiress said goodbye to her chihuahua Tinkerbell at 14 years old. She was widely recognized accompanying her on the Simple Life. In July of 2023, the socialite added a teacup chihuahua named Prince Tokyo Gizmo Hilton.

  • Katy Perry

    The “Mutt Ball 2019 Champion” was featured in two of Katy’s music videos for “Swish Swish” and “Small Talk,” becoming her “mascot.” Katy added the micro teacup poodle to her furry family in 2016, naming her Nugget, or on Instagram, Miss Nugget Perry. The “TGIF” singer already has a dog named Butters, whom she added to her pet family in 2014. The artist previously owned two cats, one named Kitty Purry, who made a cameo in the “I Kissed a Girl.” She passed away in 2020 after 15 years. Perry also owned a cat named Monkey in 2010.

  • Nina Dobrev

    The Vampire Diaries alum adopted a rescue Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix named Mrs.Maverick in 2017. According to her Instagram bio, Nina adds that her name is “Maverick Do(g)brev.” With 419,000 followers, Nina hilariously captions the posts as if her dog is writing them. In this July 17 post, Maverick writes: “has she heard of personal space? @nina”

  • Mark Hamill

    The Star Wars actor has a page dedicated to his 10-year-old rescue, Millie. According to the dog’s Instagram bio, she loves food, her humans, naps, and treats. With over 27,000 followers, Mark’s other rescues Mabel and Trixie often make cameos on Millie’s page. Like the other “pet-run” Instagrams, Millie’s captions are from her point of view.

  • Bobby Flay

    Leave it to the celebrity chef to name his pet after a food. However, Bobby’s orange Maine Coon, Nacho Flay, is a perfect name for the fluffy cat. With over 270,000 Instagram followers, Nacho even has chef-crafted cat food called Made by Nacho. Bobby has another Maine Coon named Stella. According to Flay, he became a cat person because he was an only child. He considered his family’s cats his “siblings” and said on TikTok that he couldn’t imagine life without his cats.

  • Carrie Fisher

    Though the Star Wars alum passed away in 2016, the Instagram page of her famous and beloved French bulldog, Gary Fisher, lives on. Most posts are dedicated to his dog mom, Carrie, with heartfelt messages from the 11-year-old dog. Carrie adopted the dog from her daughter, Billie Lourd, to help manage her bipolar disorder. Since Carrie’s passing, her former assistant Corby McCoin took him in.

  • Andy Cohen

    The television talk show host adopted this adorable beagle-foxhound mix from a kill shelter in West Virginia. However, in May 2020, Cohen announced that he would be sending his rescue dog of nearly seven years to another home due to “random signs of aggression” that he had tried to address. Wacha was re-homed permanently with his “second family” that would watch him when Cohen was out of town.

  • Justin Bieber

    Justin and his wife Hailey adopted a Maltese Yorkie named Oscar in 2018, a few months after they got married. On Instagram, they gave him a too-adorable Instagram nickname: “Oskie the Poskie.” In November 2022, the couple announced they adopted a dog named Piggy Lou as Oscar’s baby sister. The “Baby” singer owned several exotic pets, too. He had two Savannah cats named Sushi and Tuna and a capuchin monkey named OG Mally.

  • Mark Wahlberg

    Wahlberg has four dogs: a Pomsky (Pomeranian-Husky mix) named Jojo, a “stinky” Boston Terrier named Lola, newest-addition Pomsky puppy named Penny, and a Pomeranian named Champ. Champ is the only verified pooch, with over 85,000 Instagram followers. Wahlberg surprised his wife and kids with Champ in 2019, recalling that his wife was mad he didn’t consult her with choosing the dog. She even said “I hate those little furry dogs,” when she found out his breed, but quickly had a change of heart once she met Champ.

Joel Katz is the Morning Show Personality, Assistant Program Director, Podcast Host, Voiceover artist, audio producer, and Digital Content Writer for Magic 98.3. Joel has been working in New Jersey radio since college and started at Magic in 2002 as the Morning Show Host, “I can’t think of another place where I’d fit more perfectly; it’s just a great company with awesome people.” Joel is married to Kathleen, his elementary school sweetheart (they were each other’s first dates at age 9), shares a birthday with his oldest son, Ty, and has twins, Kiera and Liam. Joel runs at least 3.1 miles every day and enjoys playing basketball, doing laundry, saving his turn signal for when he really needs it, kissing dogs through a fence, using coasters, making that cool noise by rubbing his fingers on balloons, and chasing after ping pong balls on a windy cruise ship.

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