Good morning!
I’m poking around on facebook marketplace right? We’re still pretty newly moved into our house and I was hoping to find a bookshelf for my office. There were a few that looked ragged and unstable, but one caught my eye and I clicked on it.
Turns out it was an ad for the shopping app TEMU, where I could also buy a bookcase.
When the page loaded I didn’t see the product, but a 1-time spin the wheel offer. I won! A free gift that I could select with my first purchase. But WAIT! Spin again for double or nothing. I won again! 2 free gifts of my choosing. It led me right to the prize selection pane where I perused the items until picking out a jump rope and a wedge block for the gym.
I identify as a non-idiot, and I work in AI for a living, I know what TEMU is doing here. I know how the algorithms work and I’m not surprised to see that my home page is now entirely gym equipment. Boom, another gamified offer pops up, rigged for me to win. I smile and decide to accept the challenge, just how much can I milk this app for?
90 minutes and $200 later I had “won” the jump rope, wedge, and a package of ziplock bags.
⚡️ F5 Fast Files - Short Summary
There’s a name for what TEMU was doing, it’s not an accident.
The same trick that drained my wallet can also build the man I’m trying to become.
A line from General Conference nails exactly what’s happening every time you open an app.
😃 The house always wins
I know you’re laughing at me now, the incorrectly identified non-idiot. You saw that outcome a mile away didn’t you? The worst part is that I still don’t have a bookcase!
It’s called gamification. Regular interactions are turned into points and rewards that stimulate the dopamine centers of our brain. The experience becomes a contest, a game, to see if you can earn enough points, unlock all the badges, achieve the next level, or earn the highest reward.
Gamification is everywhere now, using incentive design and strategic psychology to hold our attention as long as possible. As long as we’re playing their game, the house always wins.
🎉 Make It a Game
I’ve painted a cautionary tale, but it’s not all bad. Gamification is just a tool, one that’s quite useful in today’s dopamine imbalanced world if you learn how to use it.
You can leverage this in positive ways too! Think of the things you DO want to pay attention to, stay engaged in, or be consistent at. How do you keep those activities novel and interesting? What points or rewards do you give yourself for playing?
Switch up your exercise program to keep things interesting, or schedule a cheat day after all week of nailing your nutrition. Have family movie night if all the chores get done, or get a treat after attending the temple.
It’s basically just the grown up version of stickers on my son’s potty chart, you can come up with games and rewards for anything! Even inside our F5 Discord we’re rolling out goal gamification, helping you track progress, earn points, and show off your progress toward any of your goals!
🎯 Know Whose Game You’re Playing
The problem is you really can’t live in this world without buying anything, seeing advertisements for this and that, or somehow disengaging altogether. Just like my accident shopping spree it doesn’t matter how clever or competitive you are, the house always wins if you decide to play.
So choose games aligned with who you want to be.
Just trying to watch a little football but all you see are the ads for betting platforms, women only covered by footballs, and other click bait vying for attention. You already know who’s behind those industries. Don’t play their games!
🔥 Discipline Still Has a Seat at the Table
Gamification isn’t going anywhere, and honestly, it doesn’t need to. It’s not inherently good or evil, it’s a tool. In a world engineered to keep you dopamine-drunk and distracted, there’s still no substitute for plain discipline. Points, streaks, and badges can support a good habit, but they can’t replace the will to keep showing up.
So be wise! Play the games that build the man you’re trying to become. Walk away from the ones built to capture you. And when discipline alone feels old and boring, build your own games for staying the course!
“O be wise; what can I say more?” (Jacob 6:12)
Justin
F5 Brotherhood
P.S - The LinkTree is still your hub for everything F5 Brotherhood