The latest AppDynamics 2023 App Attention Index from Cisco reveals the emergence of 'The Application Generation', a demographic under 35 who utilise an average of 41 different applications each month, compared to 30 among those aged 35 and above.

The Application Generation, aged 18-34, are more discerning about the quality of the applications they use. A significant 77% claim to be more mindful about the applications they install on their devices, and 64% state that they only want to use the very best applications and digital services. What's more, they are not shy about sharing their frustrations. 70% are more likely to tell others or warn people off applications that don't perform than they were 12 months ago.

The report also found rising demand for flawless digital experiences among Australians, with 86% having encountered performance issues with applications in the past year. The study shows 70% of Australians have deleted or stopped using apps due to performance problems, and 54% have deleted more applications than they've installed in the past 12 months. This suggests a growing intolerance for subpar digital experiences, with 63% of Australians admitting they are less forgiving of poor digital experiences than in previous years.

Australia's bad experience with apps is not the worst, however. India came first in this area, with 98% of consumers saying they had problems. Japan, at 75%, had the lowest number of user complaints.

In the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, Australians are turning to applications that offer financial relief. Vouchers (41%), price comparison (38%) and budgeting or money management apps (37%) are the most popular choices.

Interestingly, 50% of Australians feel that performance issues indicate a lack of respect from brands. This sentiment is echoed globally, with 62% of consumers stating that their expectations for digital experiences are far higher now than they were two years ago. Globally, 88% reported experiencing performance issues when using applications over the past 12 months.

The report also highlights a desire to declutter digital spaces, with 68% keen to get rid of application clutter and 62% looking to control or limit the number of applications they use or have on their device.

Ronak Desai, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Full-Stack Observability and AppDynamics, warns brands of the consequences of not meeting these rising expectations.

"It's a critical time for brands- invest in your application experience, or risk losing customers," he said. "Good performance is no longer enough; consumers expect only the best from their applications, and any single issue could be a reputation and revenue killer."