The Power and Pitfalls of Gamification

This Story is adapted from How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman. When you walk 10,000 steps in a day, your Fitbit rewards you with a jiggle and some virtual fireworks, giving you a reason to pause and smile with pride. When you practice a foreign language on Duolingo multiple days in a row, you earn a "streak" and are encouraged to maintain it, giving you an extra reason to strive for repetition. When companies, teachers, coaches, or apps add features such as symbolic rewards, competition, social connections, or even just fun sounds and colors to make something feel more like play, they're relying on "gamification" to enhance an experience that might otherwise be dull. I'd wager that most of the apps on your phone use some element of gamification, but we also see gamification in our workplaces and from our health insurers.