Gamification Can Empower People

What’s the Latest Development?

Buster Benson, founder of Health Month, and previous creator of 43Things, 750Words, and Locavore, worked on gamification even before it was known as that. In a recent interview he shared his ideas on using software to help people achieve mastery and accomplish goals. “I’m really only interested in the portion of the conversation that’s about helping people and empower them to do what they already want to do.”

What’s the Big Idea

Jane McGonigal has said that “a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” Benson says that gamification comes in and removes the ‘unnecessary’ part. “We’re no longer only trying to overcome obstacles merely because we want to, or because it’s fun, but we’re also trying to overcome real obstacles: how to be healthier, how to learn, how to stay connected with our friends and family. That’s really what makes it interesting to me.”