Gamification is taking over our lives, but not in a fun way.
C Thi Nguyen's book "The Score" warns us about the perils of gamification - when we mistake points for purpose. He argues that this fixation on metrics can lead to a loss of meaning and depth in our daily lives and society as a whole. Our obsession with getting more likes, views, or leaderboard rankings often comes at the expense of genuine experiences.
Take law school league tables, for example. Once, universities differentiated themselves with mission statements outlining their unique philosophies and values. But now, these values are reduced to a single number - a score that dictates success. Schools chase this metric, spending resources on promotions rather than pedagogical activities. The result is that "huge shares of university resources have been diverted away from genuine teaching and toward efforts designed only to game the rankings".
Nguyen also illustrates how metrics creep into our personal lives. In his own experience with Duolingo, he discovered that his focus shifted from learning Japanese to accumulating points and climbing leaderboards. He became so fixated on progress that he spent an entire holiday glued to his phone, repeating the same lesson over and over.
This phenomenon of "value capture" occurs when we internalize metrics as a substitute for our true goals. We measure ourselves by how many likes we get or how high we rank in a leaderboard, rather than by what truly matters - like connecting with others, exploring nature, or pursuing hobbies that bring us joy.
Nguyen's book is not just about warning us of the dangers of gamification; it's also an invitation to rediscover our values and focus on experiences that give life meaning. He shows how metrics can be seductive but also "objectivity laundering" - a way for bureaucrats to justify their decisions by invoking numbers as impartial arbiters.
"The Score" is a thought-provoking read, urgent yet never alarmist. Nguyen reminds us of the importance of wonder, absorption, and play in human flourishing. By recognizing the limits of metrics, we can reclaim our lives from the invasive grip of gamification and find a more authentic way to measure success.
C Thi Nguyen's book "The Score" warns us about the perils of gamification - when we mistake points for purpose. He argues that this fixation on metrics can lead to a loss of meaning and depth in our daily lives and society as a whole. Our obsession with getting more likes, views, or leaderboard rankings often comes at the expense of genuine experiences.
Take law school league tables, for example. Once, universities differentiated themselves with mission statements outlining their unique philosophies and values. But now, these values are reduced to a single number - a score that dictates success. Schools chase this metric, spending resources on promotions rather than pedagogical activities. The result is that "huge shares of university resources have been diverted away from genuine teaching and toward efforts designed only to game the rankings".
Nguyen also illustrates how metrics creep into our personal lives. In his own experience with Duolingo, he discovered that his focus shifted from learning Japanese to accumulating points and climbing leaderboards. He became so fixated on progress that he spent an entire holiday glued to his phone, repeating the same lesson over and over.
This phenomenon of "value capture" occurs when we internalize metrics as a substitute for our true goals. We measure ourselves by how many likes we get or how high we rank in a leaderboard, rather than by what truly matters - like connecting with others, exploring nature, or pursuing hobbies that bring us joy.
Nguyen's book is not just about warning us of the dangers of gamification; it's also an invitation to rediscover our values and focus on experiences that give life meaning. He shows how metrics can be seductive but also "objectivity laundering" - a way for bureaucrats to justify their decisions by invoking numbers as impartial arbiters.
"The Score" is a thought-provoking read, urgent yet never alarmist. Nguyen reminds us of the importance of wonder, absorption, and play in human flourishing. By recognizing the limits of metrics, we can reclaim our lives from the invasive grip of gamification and find a more authentic way to measure success.
thinkin about this...our lives r not just numbers, it's like when u get obsessed with climb'n leaderboard in duolingo, u forget why u started learnin japanese in first place 
...then u realize u spent ur whole holiday doin the same thing over and over, missin out on other awesome exp'ns 
it's about time someone warned us about the dark side of gamification... I mean, who hasn't spent hours on Duolingo trying to climb that leaderboard? 
. I mean, think about law schools now - instead of talking about what makes them unique, it's all about who can game the rankings system 
. And on a personal level, I know people who've lost sight of why they started something in the first place... like that one friend who joined Duolingo to learn Japanese but ended up just trying to beat everyone else 
. It's crazy how quickly we can get sucked into this cycle of metric-obsession and forget what truly matters 
. But at least there's a book out now, "The Score", that's trying to tell us to chill out and find our own way to measure success 
...
. We need to take a step back and remember what truly matters - like, connection with others, exploring nature, or just enjoying some good old-fashioned boredom 
. Can't we just chill for once without feeling the pressure of constantly climbing that leaderboard?
We're so focused on getting that next "high score" or "boost" that we forget to enjoy the actual process. And law schools are basically just pawns in this game, chasing rankings like they're some kind of ultimate goal 
... it's wild to think that something meant to be fun has become so obsessed with numbers. I get it, having metrics can help us optimize, but at what cost? Law schools are basically just trying to climb a leaderboard instead of focusing on what actually matters - shaping young minds 
I mean, remember when life was about the journey, not just the points you scored? It's crazy that we've turned everything into some sort of competition, even law school 
People are too busy to care about some numbers and scores when there's a whole world out there waiting to be explored! What's wrong with chasing likes or views if it brings you joy? It's not like we're going to lose meaning in life because someone got 10 more followers than us... idk. 
. We need to remember that life isn't just about accumulating points or getting likes 
. Let's take a step back from the screen and live in the moment 
.
u know how every single app is trying to get ur attention with rewards & badges? its not fun anymore, its just annoying 
i feel like im stuck in this never ending loop of trying to level up in some virtual game instead of experiencing life 
for real though this whole concept of value capture is wild and it makes me wanna reevaluate everything 
. Duolingo was my jam for a hot sec, but then I realized I wasn't actually learning anything, just trying to level up 
. It's wild how metrics can creep into our lives like that. We need more balance in our lives, you know? More time for nature walks and hobbies and just chillin' 
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. He's not all doom and gloom, though - he's actually offering us a way out of this gamification trap 
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. And can we please just limit our social media use? I mean, it's not like we're getting any more fulfilled by staring at screens all day 
. Law schools are even prioritizing their "scores" over actual teaching 
. The author's point about value capture is so true - we get caught up in the numbers instead of what really matters.