Video one-on-one smartphone chats with experts who charge by the minute are here
Sarcastic people of a certain age will remember ‘Let Me Google That For You’ (or LMGTFY). It was created in late 2008 by two web developers who’d gotten sick of lazy questions people posted on message boards – or at that time, the infant social media network Facebook. Someone would, for example, ask a question such as: “Help! Does anybody know how to uninstall a program on Windows? Thanks so much!” Then, some cheeky responder would reply with, “Sure! Here you go,” and paste a link for the questioner to follow. Clicking on the link would commence a simulated custom search query in an animated sequence whereby the question they asked was typed into a Google search bar – then the cursor arrow would move down and click Google Search, and finally the answer to their easy-to-find question would appear. It was a passive-aggressive power move, but definitely helped illustrate the point that – through the power of the internet – one can find answers to virtually anything with even minimal effort.
If that was true in 2008 it is many times truer in 2022. Virtually everything – and we say this reasonably sure we’re free of hyperbole – can be found online, and that includes one-on-one tutoring. The only problem in the 2020s is cost. If you wanted to find an online one-on-one yoga instructor or someone to teach you Mandarin Chinese, for example, you need to have reasonably deep pockets. The arrival of skill share apps, however, has begun changing the way we learn online. But more specifically – and much more revolutionarily – certain skill app companies have democratized and commodified the market to the point where one-on-one video education via smartphones is now as cheap as US$1 a minute… and some skill apps even give you the first minute free. Let Me Google That For You still has a point, but the adage Time is Money also has a point, and it’s liberating to no longer have to rely on scouring through articles or watching video tutorials – simply hop on the app and find an expert who can act as your tutor or guide.
The Covid pandemic was instrumental in pushing first online tutoring and then skill share-type apps but until now, there have still been some issues with cost – as well as with . Some of these apps would make you sign up for a membership, or charge you for block sessions when many times all you need is a quick answer to a problem that you’ve already Googled, but need help with one little thing to get you to the finish line. You don’t want to sign up for a membership, nor do you want to pay for several hours of tutoring… you just want to ask someone a question and get an immediate answer. The whole process might only take 3 minutes. And it would be nice if they only charged you for those 3 minutes. Well, now they do. A new generation of skill apps are finally understanding what’s at the core of what’s needed: flexibility in pricing structures and a much wider section of – let’s call them ‘experts’ – to provide expert advice. So, while you would still able to book a one-hour yoga session with a one-on-one tutor through the app if you wish (and negotiate a fair price for that service) you’re also able to pick up your smartphone and find an expert in anything from old-school skills such as fixing vintage motorcycles, to 21st century needs like figuring out how to get a particular drop shadow on Photoshop just right.
This pick-your-expert, talk-via-cameraphone, and pay-by-the-minute concept is fantastic and represents an amazing new development in how we gain knowledge, get assistance, or even be entertained… It’s a ‘when you need or want it’ model – and at a price that doesn’t break the bank. As the apps mature, users will inevitably rate the experts for everything from their knowledge to their friendliness, and this will also help seekers hone in on the perfect expert for them. Finally, there’s a cherry on top. You might be (and probably are) an expert. If you’ve been working in IT, or video production, knitting, camping, cooking, been in virtually any other industry, or been proficient at a hobby or interest for a decent amount of time, there’s a good chance you know what you’re talking about in those fields. Why not share your knowledge with the world? You can register yourself as an expert on the app and make extra cash by taking quick video calls from what the skill app calls ‘seekers’ who need assistance. The areas covered by the app’s experts are growing by the day and include – in places where it’s legal – experts in fields as unexpected as ‘cannabis selection’! It’s an awesome idea that is genuinely worthy of the term ‘revolutionary’ – and looks set to upend how we in the 2020s.
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