We wander through virtual worlds, collecting likes, gaining followers, and “levelling up.” The algorithms keep us hooked, giving us personalised highlight reels and dopamine hits of validation.
But where is the point of all this?
We've gamified our online lives, but to what end?
Too many of us build, create, engage and communicate for metrics rather than meaning.
What if we designed digital spaces that make us feel more alive? Spaces to create, to help, to matter. Where we gather not just for clout, status or entertainment but to build the future.
God knows the promised “metaverse” wasn’t up to scratch. It was simply a layer of abstracted gamification built onto already fracturing and fragmented human ideas.
The digital realms we inhabit shape how we spend our precious time. We can reshape them to be more humane. To unlock our human potential. To accomplish more than just driving engagement.
We can create digital worlds and lives that fulfil us, beyond status and rewards. And we can do it with tools that bring out our creativity, empathy and courage. Systems where we uplift each other, rather than compete for a cheap facsimile of glory.
The future of the internet is unwritten. We get to decide if it feels vital or vacant. We can log off the vapid video games and log into something more alive.
