I was thinking how depressing life is recently. Hear me out!
We are an evolved species, we can think and act for ourselves. We have reached a point where we no longer have to hunt for food or build our own shelters (unless we choose to or in certain cases of poverty – you know what I mean though). We have cars and computers and a world connected in ways that we could never have imagined. We live longer, are healthier and more productive than ever before.
However, this has come at an extremely high price. The more “evolved” we become, the more ridiculous we have become.
We have jobs now that involve sitting perfectly still all day, looking at a screen. We count imaginary numbers and sell imaginary products that exist in imaginary clouds. We pack ourselves into tiny trains like canned tuna, to take us from our nice warm home and family, to a dull office to press buttons on a piece of plastic with a screen.
Then we come home on the same packed train, eat with our family, kiss our kids goodnight – then stare at another screen whilst pressing buttons on a piece of plastic.
When we are not working, we view the beauty around us through the lens of a phone, watching concerts through its tiny screen, marvelling at nature through a Hudson filter and a little tilt shift. We play sports through our Xbox’s with people we have never meant, in countries we have never visited.
How is this evolution? We are devolving at a rapid rate.
How does this relate to gamification? Maybe it doesn’t, but I want you to consider a challenge here – a game if you like. Next time you are about to take a picture of something you find beautiful, call a friend or family member over first to look at it and enjoy the moment with you. When you are about to boot up FIFA, phone some friends and see if they want to go for a kick about in the park to warm up. When your kids do something great, congratulate them before you Facebook it.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”daverage” suffix=””]Enjoy the joy of living before we all become automatons in a virtual augmented reality[/inlinetweet].
