Gamification of Politics for The Millennials Generation
The millennials generation is notoriously disillusioned about government, and who could blame them? They came of age with the terror attacks of 9/11, watched the U.S. go to war, and just as they ventured into the job market, along came the Great Recession.
But another hallmark of the millennials generation — the gamification of almost everything — could be the key to drawing them into political decisions that will shape their future. They’re learning that life isn’t all fun and games. Yet they might be drawn into political action if it’s infused with features they are already attuned to, like interactability, strategy, competition, and rewards.
Millennials who have not ventured much beyond “hashtag activism” and rainbow memes might be surprised at the opportunities for political engagement that echo the games and techno tools with which they’ve grown up. And we’re not talking about online polls, which are useless. What about proposing an idea that could be introduced as legislation? Or using crowdfunding to hire a lobbyist? It could be just as much fun as using Foursquare to become “mayor” of one’s favorite restaurant — and a lot more likely to change the world.
Is anyone listening?
“Problems can’t be solved by the same people who created them,” Albert Einstein…
