Gamifying news content

Attention spans are down and many people can't cope with reading anything that's not titillating or fun.  Not a problem because our news providers are here to help.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/blogs/f5/7082667/Gamifying-the-news

I didn't know until I read the article that this technique had a name but now I do.  To 'gamify' means to introduce gaming elements to non-game content, like news and current affairs.

Traditional gaming elements

Think about those constant online polls asking you to vote.  You do it because you want to see if you're out there on your own or part of the crowd.

Inviting you to comment, view video or otherwise provide critical opinion can earn you loyalty points, access to hidden bonus content and who knows what else.

The technique is clever and it gives the provider valuable insights on how you are using content.  Interactive and ongoing feedback without the users even realising how they are being manipulated.

Gamify?  We're going to need a better way to describe this.