Community Mobilization

World Future Society 2007 and 2008 trends

The World Future Society has compiled their 2007 and 2008 trends into great U-Tube videos. I have embedded them below. They are eye opening and provide a real sense of long term view and long term importance of considering ecological impacts on business and our lives.

RWJF to Host Health Games Webinar

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will be hosting a second web conference this Thursday, December 13 at 4p Eastern / 1p Pacific.  Participants will be able to ask questions live, or you can submit a Q when you register for the conference at www.healthgamesresearch.org.  The link to register is on the right side of the screen. I know it is short notice but worth it if you can make it.

So, what might you learn on the conference call?  Here are some highlights from the Q&A from last week.
*  The target population can extend across the lifespan
*  Partnerships with for-profit entities are encouraged
*  While a variety of health games and games with health benefits exist, this funding cycle will focus on games that increase physical activity or improve patient/consumer self-care.

Virtual World Therapy

Earlier this month I wrote about Duke University using virtual worlds for therapy, and not  I see that another University, UT Dallas, is following suit. UT Dallas is using the virtual world experience to help individuals with Asperger's syndrome.

Unlike other models of intervention, virtual world experiences provide a powerful way to learn new and more appropriate ways to respond to people in scenarios similar to those faced everyday," said Dr. Sandra Chapman, director of the Center for Brain Health.

The virtual environment replicates real world social situations with greater accuracy and realism than staged encounters because in the virtual space the social interactions are real and not scripted. Moreover the virtual nature and visual interface helps individuals interact without fear or concerns of rejection.

Virtual World Therapy

Duke University is developing therapeutic experiences in virtual world settings. The experiences are designed to address addition in particular but may be used to also treat phobias in minimal exposure settings. When temptation arises in certain situations, the patient rates his or her own craving level. But the magic moment comes when a high craving subsides, which it does, because the patient won't be taking drugs in the virtual world. Thanks to Masively and ABC!

Exergaming Goes International

Earlier this year, I reported on NexGym—a youth fitness franchise that keeps youngsters moving through video game-inspired workouts. It turns out they're not the only players capitalizing on kids' fitness by incorporating video games. Canadian Bulldog Interactive Fitness and Colorado's XRKade are getting in on exergaming, too.

It is clear tha tht egaming generation needs to have exercise put into terms it understands and that is a avideo game I uess whatever will get them to burn calories is what counts. The innovation in all of this is that games by nature are entertaining and engaging and that is really the defining criteria ... no one ever said you need to or don't need to sweat. Seems like a case of years of pigeonholing the Game.

Consumer Reviews of Meds now on WebMD

Web Md has opened up a comments section on its site under each of the medicines that it categories. It is allowing consumers of the medicines to comment on how they felt the drug worked, how easy it was to use, as well as if they found any specific side effects. Although a bit cumbersome to use the site is allowing people to really make extended comments on their experience with the drug.

Some would think that the drug companies would have conniptions that their drug is being negatively reviewed, while others would take the opportunity to look into the concerns of the users and view this as an open product review session. If there are side effects that did not show up in the clinical trials, but are emerging for certain populations here is a great way to find out. Patients tell doctors, who tell drug reps, who send the message up the chain. Lots of chances to get that message lost in translation. Here on this site you get (hopefully) honest feedback straight and unfiltered which in my book is the best thing you can do.

Changemakers Post Finalists - Games for Health Education

If you follow my blog you know I am a big proponent of using game technology to educate. It is interactive, engaging and entertaining all at the same time and that helps move ideas into brains. Changemakers has announced their finalists on their site and I am excited to spend some time looking over the details of each proposal and seeing how they will improve the world.

Aids Research Alliance

I am in Santa Barbra speaking with he Aids Research Alliance about the use of digital community in role of philanthropy. I hope they we will be able to discuss the movement of a generation onto the net and how we can collectively leverage the new technology to advocate for policy change and awareness in a new generation that missed the AIDS Quilt project and all of the awareness that went on in the late 80's and 90's.

Bowling Alone No More

I love Putnam's book Bowling Alone, but this video and the program it is promoting is just such a perfect refutation to the theory of societal deterioration. I LOVE this video from Erickson that supports the importance of electronic community, even Wii bowling, to people. If seniors get it, and love it then the concept of online community can not be that far out there.

Wii to add physical fitness games

I directly quote Dan Sloan of Reuters on the launch of the Wii Fit;

Oct. 11 - Nintendo's Wii handheld console is adding a home fitness game to its arsenal before the key year end season, another leg up in its rivalry with Sony's PlayStation 3.

 

"Wii Fit" goes on sale in Japan December 1 for about $75, using a pressure-sensing "balance board" that looks like a bathroom scale and reads movement.

The intersection of childhood obesity and gaming ti is very refreshing to see Nintendo trying to provide the consuming public an interactive and physically engaging application of the wii platform. I will be curious as to when we can see exergaming titles likes DDR available o nth wii console.