I was just reading on Facebook that my son, Max, completed a graphic installation of his thesis at the Redline Art Gallery in Denver. He's wrapping up his degree in Digital Design at the University of Colorado Denver. In brief, he designed an app (not coded, but built the interface design for) that .... well, let me use his words.
THE PROBLEM:
The gamification systems in popular social media platforms have become the reason users are addicted to using those platforms. The entire structure encourages getting more likes, comments, and views which in turn lowers the quality of content to get more digital currencies. This creates echo chambers, and generally unsatisfying social media experiences.
THE QUESTION:
How can we utilize extrinsic rewards to instigate an internal motivation in users to engage in discussions with people outside of their social media circles?
THE OBJECTIVE:
TO SET A HIGHER STANDARD FOR ONLINE DISCUSSION by providing a platform that makes it easy and enjoyable for people to engage in civil discussion with strangers by creating a system that doesn’t allow for abusive language or other typical pitfalls of online discussion.
My research discovered that gamification in its truest sense can be a powerful force, but the way that it has been used is extremely damaging. The fact that current platforms for online discussion don’t impose any restrictions on the kinds of discussions that people can have has also led to the firestorm of nonsense that currently exists online.
Go Max! This may not be the single most pressing problem of our time. But it's one of them.
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