Spent
What did you learn from playing Spent?
Spent was an interesting encounter with a living situation I have not had to experience. I was transported to the world of this individual and given the challenge to live their life for 30 days in a 10 minute game. It caused me to empathize with the individual as I was limited to their options. Overall I learned that financial resources do heavily impact moral and value decisions, fair is dependent on one’s perspective and relation to the distance to the optimal situation, community networks are necessary and appear more valuable for individuals with less financial resources, health risks increase as access to affordable health care decreases and our families and children are affected by our decisions.
Did the game format impact the knowledge presentation? Explain.
I have a couple of observations regarding the structure of the game:
- Limited options: Though the individuals in the circumstances described have fewer options than those with increased resources, it did not provide opportunities to brainstorm tertiary options. However, this also lessened the likelihood of finding an “optimal” solution and thus forced the player to remain within the context of two or three bad decisions.
- I played the game a couple times and each time I used my previous encounters to lead my current decisions. I noticed that I was more likely to not help, pay or take part in activities which would reduce my budget the second and third times playing in comparison to the first.
- Ethical dilemmas of the hit-and-run damage scenario are interesting and my funds in the bank effected my decision.
- The pick up the phone call activity was great. I tried not to pick it up as I was worried what the person would tell me.
- The Facebook option (ask a friend) didn’t work for me since I do not have Facebook. It did provide an opportunity to visualize oneself in the position of asking for help. Repeated petitions for assistance note the lack of personal control in finances and more so for the poor.
- Taking a typing test and having me attempt to solve a math problem provide reminders that such activities are harder than they appear and the fact that many of us would be unable to satisfy such requirements.
Is the game biased? Is there anything missing?
The game is biased on purpose in order to immerse the player in the situation of an individual who lost their job and has limited savings. It also limits options which do not mimic the real world. If it were to ask a question, “what would you do?” this may provide insight in to the psyche of the individual playing, though I assume this is not the intent of the game. It would be interesting to see how the game would be different if human faces were used. Would this lead to more empathy, ridicule, race biases, etc.?
Are there any other groups of citizens that could be represented in a simulation like Spent?
The same game could be played in rich or poor mode. The absurdity of the rich decision making may be apparent with the rich following the poor. The current argument regarding tax holiday extension would be interesting in this context. Other examples of how this may be used is for ethics, government budgets, personal budgets, marital counseling, job hiring (noting the preference for a limited skill set of education, experience, writing skills rather than multiple intelligences of emotional intelligence, creativity, kinesthetics, etc.
10,000 Solutions
What was your solution?
Title: 2012 Citizens Voting Challenge
Description:
Create a voter challenge which rewards communities for increasing voter turnout in the 2012 Presidential Election. Cities could be placed into categories by population and cities would compete to see who has the highest percentage increase in citizens voting in the 2012 election in comparison to the voter participation rates for the 2008. The cities with the highest percentage change win!
The prize money could also be divided semi-proportionally by size of city category. The winning cityzens (play on words) would collectively determine how to invest their money within their city.
If $4 million was collected and the overall increase is 5% across the U.S., this is a little more than $1.00 a vote. What is the value of increasing citizen participation?
Get out the vote!
Title: ASU: Academic Service University
Description:
I propose ASU adds a requirement for all students to adopt a community (NGO, neighborhood, school, business, etc.) while enrolled at the university. During each semester students will prepare papers and projects addressing the needs of the community. I propose this provides the following benefits:
- Student’s work has a greater opportunity to influence the community
- Student’s work is influenced by the feedback provided by the community
- Community Engagement: Practical extension for the theory developed in class (idea of praxis)
- Potential job opportunities post graduation
- Opportunities for interdisciplinary research between students
- Pay back public investment of education
- Advance the concept scholarship beyond the classroom while creating new academic metrics of service
- Learn the meaning of service which cannot be taught in school
ASU: “Empowering Future Leaders through Service”
Discuss three solutions posted by others that stood out to you.
The bike sharing guys did an amazing job with the video presentation of their idea in addition to the merit their idea holds. I believe they will be a top contender. http://10000solutions.org/solution/bringing-bike-sharing-phoenix
I found that that deans and University Presidents (no names) offered very broad ideas which reminded me of their role as spokespersons and managers, not necessarily idea people. In other words, titles and prestige are many time the antithesis of innovation if they are already on top. Just a thought.
I like the students who proposed a solution for water filtration. I don’t exactly understand the science completely but I supported their idea for the efforts of providing clean water to the underprivileged. http://10000solutions.org/solution/clean-water-pathway-saving-lives-and-empowering-women-0
Note: I noticed that ideas are not unique. Another individual had a nearly identical idea to mine only he used the group of action to be students and I choose the cities with the nation. We’re not so unique or different after all! Furthermore, there appear to be latent supporters if we have a method for collaborating.
If you were given the opportunity to change something about the site, what advice would you give to improve the experience for others?
Ideas to Actions
It would be interesting if there was a method of inspiring people to act on ideas not just postulate and vote. For example, create a new online “like” structure which says something like “Act” “Response-Ability”, “I Will…” and by selecting the box you make a vow to do something. You sign it electronically and assign a date. If you select an email option a message will remind you and the community can send you emails about your efforts by selecting your “I Will” statement.
