Gamification

Jolyon Jenkins looks at how the techniques of gaming have been co-opted to coerce, cajole and control us, using our inherently playful nature to make us act in ways that may not be in our own best interests. Welcome to gamification. Points, badges, and leaderboards are creeping into every aspect of modern life. Businesses, governments and schools use games and gamification as tools for profit and control. Amazon workers pack boxes while a virtual car races across their screen. The faster they pack, the faster the car - and if they beat their co-workers, they rise to the top of the leaderboard. Truck drivers are measured for compliance with company driving standards, and can see in real time how they are performing against colleagues. But is any of this actually fun? And who said work was supposed to be fun anyway? Producer/Presenter: Jolyon Jenkins An Off Beat Media production for BBC Radio 4