Gamification & Digital Advocacy

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What is Gamification    Gamification, the integration of game-elements into non-game contexts, has surged in recent years, facilitated by the widespread adoption of digital platforms like social media.

Applied to Advocacy    While businesses have long employed game-design elements for marketing, civic actors, including nonprofits, are now embracing gamification to achieve various goals such as raising awareness and fundraising.

Historical Context    This crossover between game elements and advocacy isn't entirely new, as games aiming for social change have roots dating back decades. These games aim to raise awareness and critique certain issues, such as corporate practices or political decisions. However, there is a difference between games meant to raise awareness and the use of game elements in non-game advocacy initiatives.

Popularity Increasing with Tech    This trend is altering civic advocacy by supplementing traditional strategies with mobile applications and design thinking, promising increased engagement and collaboration for social causes. Technological advancements have facilitated the spread of gamified advocacy, with various platforms and devices enabling broader audience engagement

Drawbacks    Challenges arise, including concerns about security, inclusivity, and the effectiveness of gamification in driving meaningful social change.

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Progress

Goals

  • Motivate
    activtists to continue their efforts in a sustained manner by providing feedback on their progress
  • Contextualize
    individuals' effect on a collective action effort
  • Create
    networks of engaged individuals
  • Establish
    relationships with people who share common goals to build a stronger network of activists
  • Incentivize
    and reward participation in advocacy efforts

Associated Components

  • Progress
    Bars
  • Progress
    Visualizations
  • Rewards
    and recognition
  • Progress
    Reports
  • Personalized
    feedback
  • Step-by-step
    guides/plans
  • Progress
    Loss

Examples

  • Social
    sharing features on health and wellness apps like Zombies, Run! that encourage users to share their progress with friends and family
  • Collaborative
    challenges on platforms like OpenIDEO where users work together to solve complex social issues
  • Platforms
    like Avaaz that give users personalized feedback on their contributions, reinforcing their sense of ownership and connection to the cause.
  • 350.org's
    Fossil Free Campaign that allows users to track the progress of divestment commitments on a global map and receive updates on new victories and opportunities for action. By engaging participants in the divestment process and highlighting their collective impact, 350.org fosters a sense of progress and empowerment among activists fighting climate change.

Competition

Social Comparison

Goals

  • Encourage
    participation and engagement from a wider audience that may not be otherwise interested in the cause
  • Foster
    a sense of community and collaboration among participants
  • Appeal
    to people's competitive nature to drive engagement and action (a player type that may otherwise be often missed in traditional advocacy efforts)
  • Use
    social comparison to attach social status/capital to participation and engagement, thereby increasing motivation and commitment
  • Create
    a sense of implicit social pressure and accountability among participants

Associated Components

  • Leaderboards
  • Points
    and rewards
  • Status
    Symbols
  • Trophy
    Cases
  • Challenges
    and competitions
  • Social
    sharing features
  • Badges
    and titles

Examples

  • Fantasy
    Congress, where users draft legislative bills and compete to gain support for their proposals
  • Recyclebank,
    which rewards users with points for recycling and redeeming them for goods at local shops
  • IdeaScale,
    a crowdsourcing platform that uses leaderboards and rewards to incentivize idea submission and collaboration

Social Network

Social interaction, social discovery, social sharing

Goals

  • Foster
    a sense of community and belonging among participants
  • Appeal
    to people's desire for social connection and interaction
  • Appeal
    to people who are already seeking mediums and platforms for social interaction and friendship
  • Encourage
    collaboration and cooperation among participants
  • Create
    a sense of shared purpose and identity among participants
  • Encourage
    social sharing and engagement with the cause

Associated Components

  • Social
    sharing features
  • Thank-you
    economy
  • Teams
    and guilds
  • Collaborative
    challenges
  • Cooperation
    and teamwork
  • Petitions
  • Mentorship
  • Recognition
    and rewards
  • Leaderboards

Examples

  • Initiatives
    that integrate with existing social networks like LinkedIn to connect professionals with opportunities for pro bono work and social impact
  • Initiatives
    that integrate with existing social media like Facebook or Twitter to facilitate social sharing and engagement
  • Platforms
    like EyeWire that allow users to collaborate on scientific research projects and interact with other players

Social Pressures

Social influence, social status, social pressure, guilds/teams

Goals

  • Leverage
    social influence and peer pressure to drive engagement and action
  • Encourage
    participants to share their experiences and achievements with others
  • Create
    a sense of social validation and recognition for participants
  • Encourage
    participants to recruit others to join the cause
  • Foster
    a sense of community and belonging among participants
  • Encourage
    participants to support and motivate each other
  • Create
    a sense of social accountability and responsibility among participants

Associated Components

  • Elitism
  • Social
    Prods
  • Brag
    Buttons
  • Guilds/Teams
  • Social
    sharing features
  • Thank
    you economy
  • Nudges
  • Challenges
    and competitions
  • Recognition
    and rewards
  • Cooperation
    and teamwork
  • Altruism
    and social responsibility
  • Calls
    to Action

Examples

  • Platforms
    like Recyclebank that use social sharing features to encourage users to share their recycling efforts with friends and family
  • Initiatives
    like the Get Loud Challenge that challenge participants to engage in conversations about climate change with their families and share their experiences online
  • Things
    like the Ice Bucket Challenge that leverage social influence and peer pressure to drive engagement and donations for ALS research
  • Initiatives
    that encourage users to do something specific on social media, like making their profile picture a certain color to show support for a cause. E.g., the Human Rights Campaign's red equal sign campaign or the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag

Recognition

Rewards + Social Drives

Goals

  • Reward
    and recognize participants for their contributions and achievements
  • Guarantee
    to users that are motivated by social influence/pressures that their efforts will be recognized and appreciated in the modality (Social) that they desire most
  • Encourage
    participants to strive for excellence and improvement
  • Create
    a sense of accomplishment and pride among participants

Associated Components

  • Leaderboards
  • Points
    and rewards
  • Badges
    and titles
  • Challenges
    and competitions
  • Social
    sharing features
  • Cooperation
    and teamwork
  • Creativity,
    innovation, and exploration
  • Altruism
    and social responsibility
  • Unpredictability
    and surprise

Examples

  • Platforms
    like Crowdrise that use leaderboards and rewards to recognize top fundraisers and donors
  • Initiatives
    like the TGL Awards that recognize and celebrate civic pro bono work and engage participants in workshops
  • Giving
    donors a badge or a title for their contributions, like an I voted sticker
  • Giving
    donors a tier system of rewards which translate to social status. Like names written in concrete for a building, where the size of the text is determined by the amount donated
  • Badges
    and Titles on platforms like Change.org that have a social aspect to them, like 'Top Petitioner' or 'Most Active Advocate'

Team Collaboration

Cooperation, voting, team/guides, collaboration

Goals

  • Encourage
    collaboration and cooperation among participants
  • Utilize
    the efficiency and effectiveness of group efforts
  • Foster
    a sense of community and shared purpose

Associated Components

  • Group
    quests
  • Collaborative
    challenges
  • Social
    sharing features
  • Recognition
    and rewards
  • Social
    influence and peer pressure
  • Creativity,
    innovation, and exploration
  • Altruism
    and social responsibility
  • Unpredictability
    and surprise

Examples

  • Platforms
    like OpenIDEO that host design challenges and invite users to collaborate on solutions to global challenges
  • Initiatives
    like the World Climate Simulation that engage participants in climate change negotiations and encourage cooperation among delegates

Creativity Tools

Creativity Tools, Innovation and Exploration, Innovation Platform, Development Tools, Creative Empowerment

Goals

  • Encourage
    participants to think creatively and innovatively
  • Foster
    a sense of curiosity and exploration
  • Appeal
    to people's desire for self-expression and identity
  • Encourage
    participants to share their ideas and creations with others
  • Create
    a sense of ownership and pride in participants' contributions

Associated Components

  • User-generated
    content
  • Creativity
    Challenges
  • Creative
    tools
  • Puzzle
    Solving
  • Challenges
    and competitions
  • Empowerment
    and Autonomy Based Tasks/processes
  • Unpredictability
    and surprise

Examples

  • Platforms
    like IdeaScale that invite users to submit ideas and collaborate on solutions to complex challenges
  • Simulations
    like Empaville that engage participants in participatory budgeting and encourage creative problem-solving
  • Simulations
    like the World Climate Simulation that challenge participants to negotiate climate change policies and explore innovative solutions

Altruistic Purpose

Altruism, Altruistic Purpose, Gifting/Sharing, Knowledge Sharing

Goals

  • Appeal
    to people's desire to help others and make a positive impact
  • Foster
    a sense of empathy and compassion among participants
  • Encourage
    participants to support and assist each other
  • Create
    a sense of social responsibility and duty among participants
  • Reward
    and recognize participants for their altruistic actions

Associated Components

  • Calls
    to Action
  • Status
    Symbols
  • Thank
    you economy
  • Mentorship
  • Recognition
    and rewards
  • Cooperation
    and teamwork

Examples

  • Platforms
    like Crowdrise that gamify charitable giving and encourage users to fundraise for nonprofits
  • Initiatives
    like the Get Loud Challenge that challenge participants to engage in conversations about climate change with their families and share their experiences online
  • Games
    like iHobo that raise awareness about homelessness and encourage donations to support homeless individuals

Unpredictability

Surprise, Novelty, Curiosity, Mystery, Anticipation

Goals

  • Create
    excitement and anticipation among participants
  • Appeal
    to people's desire for novelty and challenge
  • Encourage
    participants to explore and experiment with different strategies
  • Foster
    a sense of curiosity and engagement
  • Create
    a sense of mystery and intrigue around the advocacy efforts

Associated Components

  • Creativite
    Challenges and competitions
  • Dynamic
    content and events
  • Refreshing
    content
  • Cooperation
    and teamwork
  • Creativity,
    innovation, and exploration
  • Unpredictability
    and surprise
  • Non-fixed
    Reward Systems

Examples

  • Platforms
    like Recyclebank that offer surprise rewards and challenges to keep users engaged and motivated
  • Initiatives
    like the Get Loud Challenge that challenge participants to engage in conversations about climate change with their families and share their experiences online
  • Games
    like Zombies, Run! that immerse players in a zombie apocalypse story and challenge them to run faster to escape zombies
  • Metaphorical
    games like Papers, Please that simulate real-world scenarios and challenge players to make difficult decisions
  • This
    War of Mine
  • The
    World Game by Buckminster Fuller
  • The
    New Games Movement

Rewards/Achievements

Rewards and Achievements

Goals

  • Reward
    and recognize participants for their achievements and contributions
  • Encourage
    participants to strive for excellence and improvement
  • Create
    a sense of accomplishment and pride among participants
  • Motivate
    participants to continue their engagement and participation
  • Foster
    a sense of competition and challenge among participants

Associated Components

  • Points
    and rewards
  • Badges
    and titles
  • Leaderboards
  • Challenges
    and competitions
  • Social
    sharing features
  • Points
    Systems
  • Achievement
    Symbols

Examples

  • Initiatives
    like the TGL Awards that recognize and celebrate civic pro bono work and engage participants in workshops
  • Rewards
    like the Gender Justice Uncovered Awards that recognize individuals and organizations for their contributions

Challenges

Challenge, Autonomy, Quests

Goals

  • Create
    a sense of challenge and excitement among participants
  • Appeal
    to people's desire for achievement and mastery
  • Encourage
    participants to set and achieve goals
  • Foster
    a sense of accomplishment and pride in overcoming obstacles
  • Create
    a sense of competition and motivation among participants
  • Create
    autonomy and control over the advocacy efforts

Associated Components

  • Challenges
    and competitions
  • Leaderboards
  • Quests
  • Group
    Quests
  • MiniQuests
  • Boss
    Fights
  • Step-by-step
    guides/plans

Examples

  • Platforms
    like Recyclebank that offer challenges and rewards to encourage users to recycle and adopt sustainable habits
  • Competitions
    with a prize pool to come up with the best solution to a problem. E.g., the XPrize competitions

Ownership

Virtual Goods

Goals

  • Encourage
    participants to take ownership of the advocacy efforts
  • Foster
    a sense of responsibility and accountability among participants
  • Appeal
    to people's desire for autonomy and control
  • Encourage
    participants to share their ideas and take initiative
  • Create
    a sense of pride and accomplishment in participants' contributions
  • Create
    a sense of belonging and identity with the advocacy efforts

Associated Components

  • Virtual
    Goods
  • Social
    sharing features
  • Points
    and rewards
  • Badges
    and titles
  • Recognition
    and rewards

Examples

  • Platforms
    like IdeaScale that invite users to submit ideas and take ownership of the problem-solving process
  • Initiatives
    like the TGL Awards that recognize and celebrate civic pro bono work and engage participants in workshops
  • Petition-based
    platforms that allow users to create and share petitions to advocate for social change

Customization

Customization, Identity and Self-Expression

Goals

  • Appeal
    to people's desire for self-expression and identity
  • Encourage
    participants to share their ideas and creations with others
  • Foster
    a sense of creativity and innovation among participants
  • Create
    a sense of ownership and pride in participants' contributions
  • Encourage
    participants to express their values and beliefs
  • Integrate
    with advocacy's appeal towards people desire to be seen as a good person

Associated Components

  • Badges
    and titles
  • Challenges
    and competitions
  • Creativity,
    innovation, and exploration
  • Avatars
    and social profiles

Examples

  • Platforms
    like OpenIDEO that host design challenges and invite users to share their ideas and solutions
  • Nike+
    Run Club that allows users to track their runs, set goals, and share their achievements with others
  • Initiatives
    like the TGL Awards that recognize and celebrate civic pro bono work and engage participants in workshops
  • Integration
    with social media platforms to allow users to share their advocacy efforts and engage with others. E.g., the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag

Narrative

Storytelling, Meaning, Higher Purpose

Goals

  • Create
    a sense of narrative and meaning around the advocacy efforts
  • Appeal
    to people's desire for storytelling and connection
  • Foster
    a sense of empathy and understanding among participants towards groups that they may not have been exposed to or have been able to empathize with prior

Associated Components

  • Humanity
    Hero
  • Beginner's
    Luck
  • Social
    sharing features
  • Recognition
    and rewards
  • Altruism
    and social responsibility

Examples

  • Platforms
    like Recyclebank that use storytelling to engage users and raise awareness about environmental issues
  • Initiatives
    like the Get Loud Challenge that challenge participants to engage in conversations about climate change with their families and share their experiences online
  • Games
    like This War of Mine that tell stories of civilians in war-torn cities and challenge players to make difficult decisions
  • Simulation
    games and metaphorical games that immerse players in a narrative and challenge them to make decisions that impact the story. E.g., Papers, Please

Successes, Failures, and Innovations

Successes

  • Platforms like Crowdrise that have raised millions of dollars for nonprofits through gamified fundraising
  • Initiatives like the TGL Awards that have recognized and celebrated civic pro bono work and engaged participants in workshops
  • Games like Zombies, Run! that have motivated users to exercise and adopt healthier habits
  • Platforms like OpenIDEO that have hosted design challenges and invited users to collaborate on solutions to global challenges

Failures

  • Initiatives that have failed to sustain long-term engagement and commitment among participants
  • Platforms that have struggled to attract a diverse and inclusive audience
  • Games that have failed to drive meaningful social change or impact
  • Platforms that were not inclusive and respectful of participants' rights and privacy and furthered the digital divide

Innovations

  • Platforms that have integrated with existing social networks and platforms to facilitate social sharing and engagement through viral trends and challenges
  • Initiatives that have combined gamification with storytelling and narrative to create immersive experiences
  • Platforms that have leveraged social media and digital technologies to engage a wider audience and previously unreached demographics

Discussion

Implications

Gamification has the potential to revolutionize advocacy efforts by engaging a wider audience, fostering collaboration and community, and driving meaningful social change. By leveraging game-design elements and digital technologies, civic actors can create immersive and interactive experiences that motivate and inspire participants to take action. Gamification can help raise awareness, mobilize resources, and amplify the impact of advocacy efforts. It can also foster a sense of ownership and pride among participants, encouraging them to become more engaged and committed to the cause. Overall, gamification has the power to transform advocacy by making it more engaging, interactive, and effective.

Moral Considerations

The use of gamification in advocacy raises ethical questions about privacy, security, and inclusivity. It is essential to consider the potential risks and drawbacks of gamification, such as algorithmic biases, privacy concerns, and the digital divide. Civic actors must ensure that gamified advocacy initiatives are transparent, inclusive, and respectful of participants' rights and privacy. They must also be mindful of the unintended consequences of gamification, such as reinforcing stereotypes or perpetuating harmful behaviors. By adopting ethical guidelines and best practices, civic actors can harness the power of gamification to drive positive social change while upholding ethical standards and values.

Opportunities

There are many opportunities for gamification in advocacy that have not been fully realized. For example, gamification could be used to promote civic engagement and political participation by encouraging users to vote, contact their representatives, or participate in community events. Gamification could also be used to raise awareness about social issues and inspire action by creating immersive and interactive experiences that educate and inform the public. Additionally, gamification could be used to foster collaboration and cooperation among participants by creating challenges and rewards that encourage teamwork and collective action. By exploring new and innovative ways to gamify advocacy efforts, civic actors can unlock the full potential of gamification to drive social change and create a more just and equitable society.

Conclusion

Positive impacts of gamification in advocacy include increased engagement and participation, enhanced collaboration and community building, and greater awareness and support for social causes. Gamification can motivate and inspire participants to take action, drive meaningful social change, and amplify the impact of advocacy efforts. However, there are also negative impacts of gamification that should be addressed, such as privacy concerns, algorithmic biases, and the digital divide. Civic actors must be mindful of the potential risks and drawbacks of gamification and take steps to mitigate them. By adopting ethical guidelines and best practices, civic actors can ensure that gamified advocacy initiatives are transparent, inclusive, and respectful of participants' rights and privacy. They can also leverage the power of gamification to create positive social change while upholding ethical standards and values.