By now, I'm sure we've all heard of gamification -- a strategy that employs game-like elements in non-game contexts to improve employee, student or even just life engagement.
As someone who has studied and blogged about playfulness for years, I want to be on-board with the gamification movement. The problem is... a lot of managers are doing it totally wrong.
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Last week, Franchesca Ramsey of MTV's Decoded posted this video about why "no one" wants to date Asian men, while Asian women are highly desired, sometimes to the point of being fetishized.
Meanwhile, OkCupid has released data showing who is the most and least desired in online dating: Men don’t write black women back. Or rather, they write them back far less often than they should. Black women reply the most, yet get by far the fewest replies. Essentially every race--including other blacks—singles them out for the cold shoulder. Here's Why It's SO Hard to Find Lost Hikers - And Why, If You Get Lost, You Should STOP. #Math5/26/2016
I read the saddest story ever this morning. A beautiful, vibrant woman named Geraldine Largay, or Inchworm, was found dead in her tent, almost two years after losing her way along the Appalachian Trail.
Are you really expressing yourself -- or are you just dressing a certain way? Are you really showing the world your true self -- or are you just putting on a performance for an audience?
TIL (that's Cool Person on the Internet speak for "today I learned") how to turn any Youtube video into a gif!
And it's super easy!
After hearing it come up for the millionth time today in conversation, I finally read your letter. Plenty of people have rushed to defend you. Plenty more have said some ugly things to and about you.
I'm not here to say you're right or wrong. I know being an adult is super hard -- believe me! I know the Bay Area is extremely, stupidly expensive -- I live here, too, and I'm secretly afraid that someday, I won't be able to afford it anymore. Nevertheless, I'm going to go ahead and commit one of the biggest sins known to man: offering my unsolicited advice. Do what you want with it.
Before every holiday, I find myself saying, "I'm so excited! [Upcoming Holiday] is my favorite holiday!" Which is a much happier and more positive approach than the typical, "Ugh. I hate [Upcoming Holiday]! It's so commercialized!"
And although my favorite holiday, Halloween, just ended:
I tweeted this photo to @AllenIverson. Sadly, he did not tweet me back.
... People are already talking about the next holiday -- my favorite holiday! Thanksgiving!
But mostly what I'm hearing people talk about is Black Friday. It's natural to get swept up in sales and deals -- the world's best psychologists see to that. Many of us think buying things, whether for ourselves or others, can make us happy. (And, when done correctly, it actually can!) For others, it's a post-Thanksgiving tradition. Whether you love it or hate it, chances are you'll be doing some shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I want to help. If you're shopping for a girl age 4-12, here are the top eight things you should consider buying: 1. Slotwood. They're like life-size Lincoln Logs. Have you read about my Patreon campaign yet? I wrote a little blurb about it last week. In it, I talk about the Old Economy Steve Jobs meme, and how, yeah, the "new economy" does suck in some ways. But wouldn't you rather see the world like this?
Some opportunities of the past have disappeared. You can't necessarily buy a house and get a great job out of school anymore. But the digital age has ushered in some of the most exciting new opportunities ever.
For the last few years, I've lived a very fun and adventure-filled life -- and I haven't held a full-time job since 2011. It is easier than ever to work remotely -- and the sharing economy has enabled people like me to make and save money in a way that is social, environmental, or just plain smart. In this post, I discuss eight companies I've used (or will use) to make my lifestyle possible. Half of America's top graduates do the same six jobs after graduation. The reason why is depressing.8/4/2014
There's a perceived formula to "success" in today's world. We've all heard it:
You work hard in middle school so you can get into a good high school. Then you work hard in high school to get the grades, leadership roles and volunteer hours required to get into a good college -- often with the help of private tutors and coaches. Then you go to college so you can take the right classes and do the right extracurriculars to get a "good job" that pays well. It absolutely takes intelligence and hard work to shine in this environment. But at the end of the day, our nation's best and brightest have spent their first 22 years following instructions and jumping through hoops. Which is probably why teenagers and young adults are more anxious and depressed than ever. And also why the majority -- literally, the majority -- of graduates from America's top schools do one of six things: finance, consulting, law, medicine, Teach for America or grad school. I recently published Boring People Lead Boring Lives, which discussed how passive entertainment stunts leisure skill development. I also wrote about the dangers of boredom: Boredom proneness is dangerous. It's associated with increased feelings of aggression (Rupp & Vodanovich, 1997; Dahen, 20004), anger, substance abuse (Rupp & Vodanovich, 1997), procrastination (Vodanovich & Rupp, 1999), shyness (Maroldo, 1986), coronary-prone and Type-A behavior (Kass & Vodanovich, 1990), depression, anxiety (Ahmed, 1990; Vodanovich, Verner & Gilbride, 1991) and low self-actualization (Vodanovich & Rupp, 1999).
I thought I'd follow up with a story about how iPads destroy creativity, curiosity... and even language and other cognitive skills.
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Eva is a content specialist with a passion for play, travel... and a little bit of girl power. Read more >
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