I grew up on Nickelodeon watching shows like “Are you Afraid of the Dark?”, “What Would you do?”, and my absolute favorite “Double Dare.” After growing out of these shows, my sister and I decided it would be fun to have our own “physical challenges” just like on Double Dare, seen here. They were always wacky and crazy, our physical challenges never consisted of things like throwing fake lettuce at one another but they were things that required us to move quickly. One time she told me to climb to the top of a tree and take a picture of the closest house using my cell phone. I had two minutes to complete the task. If you finish a physical challenge, you get nothing but the joy of knowing you did it. If you lose, you get punched in the arm. I always thought this was a fun way to stay active and get us off of our couch.
Look up Persuasive Technology lab, it’s a group at Stanford University devoted to how computer products can be designed to change what people believe and do. CNN just published an article with their director BJ Fogg who talks about apps for phones, software in cars, and even a wireless scale that links to your Facebook and Twitter. My favorite gadget is called Imoveyou.com, a social networking site designed to persuade people to exercise more often. It works much like a physical challenge. “If you run around the block 3 times, I’ll do 500 jumping jacks.” I really like this group and what it stands for and hope that it develops a larger following. As we become more reliant on technology, I think it only fair that technology helps us become as healthy as possible. Check out CNN’s full article on this topic and read about other great ways technology can persuade you develop responsible habits.