In the early days of Apple’s App Store, the top free apps tended to be big names, like Facebook, Pandora, Pinterest and Twitter, but if you check the top free apps on iTunes today, you’ll find a decidedly more low-brow collection. In fact, the top app is a game that simulates marijuana farming. TechCrunch’s Sara Perez writes, “It sits just above yet another fairly dumb, time-waster of a game called ‘100 Balls,’ reminiscent of beer pong. And that’s followed ‘Toilet Time,’ which offers you quick games to play while you…um…go, as well as ‘Make It Rain,’ which tests to see how fast you can swipe to make the money fly. Welcome to the Everyman’s App Store. Or, as some have put it, Idiocracy.”
Why the shift? In part, mobile development firms using shady app marketing techniques might be to blame. In addition, as smartphones have become more popular, a lot more people have them—including children and a lot of people with low-brow tastes.