Mission On: Getting kids active using social networking website
One of modern society’s new concerns is overweight, under-exercised children spending all their time in front of the TV, game console or home computer. SPARC, the NZ government agency charged with addressing this problem, engaged interactive media studio Click Suite to create an innovative interactive social networking website for kids, as part of a broad multi-faceted programme called Mission On. The idea is to get children enthusiastic about doing real exercise and eating well. Using the online equivalent of collecting stars on the fridge, children earn points for undertaking physical activities and healthy eating. Points are currency to spend on customising the child’s personalised web pages. The programme is kept fresh with popular celebrities demonstrating and encouraging new activities. And for parental peace of mind, there are heaps of safeguards and moderation.
The Mission On website has just gone live, so it’s too early to say if it will achieve its objectives. However the pre-launch pilot school and its children have been very enthusiastic users, and have already begun to see positive results. This is an innovative way of using the social power of the web to help solve a modern problem, and of course is a great showcase of Click Suite’s savvy interactive media design skills.
Postscript: Yes I know it’s counter intuitive - a website to encourage exercise - so I suggest you get your kids or grandkids to give it a go, and see for yourselves.
Disclosure: I’m non-executive chairman of Click Suite.
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February 22nd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I agree Jim. It’s a great site.
I’ve of course been privy to it for some time and have had a blast playing some of the games. As a bit of an exercise junkie myself (saw Em out for a run this morning!) I think it’s a great step in the right direction.
Also important to note the input of a number of other people into the success of the project.
The folks at Intergen have done a great job providing the back end infrastrucutre that makes the site tick. All that nice Flash animation talks to a whole load of SQL Server databases to store the results and points earnt by MissionOners. It makes use oif Lightspeed, an ORM tool from some ex-Intergenites at Mindscape.
We also can’t forget about the great guys @ TNS Market Research who made sure that what we were building was actually something kids LOVE- they are a fickle bunch… though what would I know… I only have a dog!
I was personally involved in the early stages around the envisioning and there were other great creative folks there too like the guys from Springload.
I think it’s a fantastic example of the power and success that can be achieved when teams of smart folks from all over Silicon-Welly get together to do cool stuff!
Disclosure: I’m an executive director of Intergen and also good friends with the folks from most of the companies I mention above.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Where is the parents personal responsibility here? You don’t need a website for kids with material that encourages them to exercise. Parents can enforce their own kids at home to be active. The negative effect of such spoon fed ideology (we know what’s best for you, so use this technology to solve the problem), is that kids missed out on the fundamental human nature of development in forming their own concepts and self-discovery about the external world. It is part of the psychology of learning & development for children. In this way, kids won’t think for themselves, they just rely on others to tell or guide them of what to do.
I am sorry Jim, but such technology is only for parents who are naive who would allow their kids to participate in it.
February 22nd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
FF: You have to agree that we do have a societal problem with overweight unexercised children, and by implication, many parents are not exercising their responsibilities. Simply saying it’s their problem won’t fix it.
You and I would probably agree that widescale taxpayer funded health and welfare has produced unintended consequences - abrogation of personal responsibility and a blow out in welfare and healthcare costs. However, we’re unlikely to win over a majority of the electorate to put our views into practice. Since most of our fellow citizens believe in taxpayer-funded health care, we face the unpleasant choice of ignoring the problem and paying for the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, or accepting the need for some preventative measures.
And have a look at the broader programme it’s not just a website.
February 22nd, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Seems to me for the cost of putting that web site together SPARC could have distributed a hell of a load of footballs, netballs and rugby balls to kids around the country. Another waste of my taxpayer money as far as I can see.
The internet and technology is not the answer to everything no matter how clever the people behind it are.
Counter-intuitive ? Madness would be my description, get the kids off their arses and outside in this great summer we’ve had.
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:33 am
As a response to the argument developed by Falafulu. I agree with your notion that perhaps this is enforcing a dominant ideology on small children. However, the natural problem with such an argument is that you can be selective in where you see this ideology emerging from. Arguably, applying a neogramscian critique one could view every social institution created by the state as enforcing a dominant ideology or ’spoon-feeding.’
In response to Glenn’s post. I agree with the point raised that the internet cant solve everything. Indeed, I am sure the new program has been intended to work alongside the other SPARC initiatives which include granting sport scholarships to schools for the purchase of PE equipment, and encouraging activity through advertisements and school tours. However, the concept that SPARC should just buy more rugby balls is unfounded. The reason they have tried something different was because their traditional approach wasn’t getting the results they wanted.
Lets wait and see what happens.
February 24th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Indeed:
You’ll have to explain neogramscian.
February 25th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Indeed:
“Lets wait and see what happens.”
How is SPARC planning to measure the success or otherwise of this exercise ? I’d love to see the cost/benefit/business case for this project.
FF:
“Parents can enforce their own kids at home to be active”
Surely you mean “encourage”, “enforcing” yours kids to be active will get you in trouble with this PC government !