The gamification of hobbies in the digital age

how social cataloging apps have turned leisure into competition

Picture this. It’s a cold December evening and you’re sitting by the fire reading a novel. You’re about 80% done and want to finish it before the end of the night. Not because you are engaged in a piece of art, but because you want to make sure you meet your GoodReads reading goal by December 31st. 

Social cataloging apps are all the rage. Runners don’t just run anymore, they track routes and share their trails and when they PR on Strava. People don’t just watch movies anymore, they carefully rate and review movies on Letterboxd and carefully curate a watch-list. Readers don’t just read, they share what page they’re on on GoodReads.

These apps have made what used to be a solitary activity into a public affair. They also contain metrics that are high above what the average person is meeting. An app for readers is going to naturally encourage higher levels of reading, which can quickly breed comparison and competition.

Reading is my main hobby, and I have noticed within myself a strange competitiveness and performative nature around what used to just be a leisurely activity. I’ve noticed this with other people’s hobbies too.

The Guardian has a piece about this phenomenon of cultural categorization.

“We’ve got used to this idea that it’s good to share our habits online, and that it’s nice to get feedback.” But there could be an adverse effect if it becomes “all about competition. I think that probably is a way of diminishing the pleasure.”

Having public profiles displaying the status of your activities is bound to lead to inauthenticity and competition. Just like any other social media platform. 

Think about Spotify Wrapped. 

Each year I see my friends’ top artists and tracks splashed on my Instagram feed. It’s a fun shared experience and a way to see what your friends are listening to. As cool as it is, I wonder how much of it is authentic.

I know I worry that listening to “Hamilton” may mess up my Wrapped and that translates in me listening to it less (guilty). Knowing I am being tracked changes my behavior. Does it change yours? 

It’s a good goal to want to read 50 books a year, but reading five doesn’t make you any less intelligent or thoughtful than the former. 

I used to religiously track my reading on GoodReads until it started feeling like a competition. I was in school and reading plenty in my classes and got burnt out from reading in general, which meant I wasn’t reading for pleasure for a while. 

I started reading one book per month instead of five, which made me stop tracking. I think that’s what the issue is. When you stop performing at a high level on these apps, you tend to stop using them. 

These apps don’t encourage sporadic behavior, but daily, weekly habits. Which is manageable for some. If you run every morning then Strava may be a perfect fit for you. It gives you data on your exercise. But if you’re trying to get into running, it can be a place of intimidation and comparison. Same if you previously were big into exercise and have since taken a break. 

What I’m saying here friends is that tracking is helpful when you are at your peak. But it’s hard and humbling to do when you aren’t. I didn’t realize until I was writing this that the reason why I stopped tracking my reading on GoodReads was because I don’t feel like I am reading enough. 

Not reading enough? How silly that I am employing metrics into my leisurely activities. It seems like America’s focus around productivity has influenced me in more ways than I have realized.

Your leisure should be just that, leisure. 

Here’s the definition if you’ve forgotten.

freedom provided by the cessation of activities

Not working, essentially. The internet has made our hobbies into work. What a shame.

I struggle with this, not only because of my culture’s obsession with productivity but also because of my own obscenely high standards I have for myself.

I tend to categorize my days into ‘productive’ or ‘unproductive’ which reduces the quality of my life by what I produce. This is far from the life that God has created us for. While we should be good stewards of our time, leisure is a good gift that we need to learn how to steward too. Especially in a digital age where leisure and laziness are entangled, and rest is “brain-rot" aka being chronically online.

It’s okay if you love going on daily walks but you don’t record your step count, or you finish a novel in one sitting and don’t log it on GoodReads. In a world where so much of our social life is displayed online, I encourage you to hold close the things that recharge and rejuvenate you. It sucks that hobbies and pastimes have been gamified into competitions. You don’t suck if you didn’t make your reading goal this year. 

I don’t know if any of you are like this too. But I hope that this gives you permission to let your hobbies be infrequent, unproductive and not trackable. 

I find myself thinking that only reading a few books a month is not a “good” reading month, because I compare myself to the readers I follow online. This is strange considering the average American adult reads 5 books per year. 

Below is a quote from an interesting piece about how reading has gotten particularly competitive over the past few years. 

There is a desire not to read for personal gain, but to be publicly recognized as someone who is well-read. In an age of instant gratification and entertainment brought by endless streaming services and social media platforms, reading is seen as having a higher moral value, requiring the intention and dedication to take the time to sit down with a book. It is advantageous to perform the role of an avid reader. 

You are rewarded if you’re seen as an avid reader, runner, etc. in culture. It’s no surprise we have been publicizing what used to be private. 

In an age of oversharing it isn’t surprising that this has happened. We don’t keep much to ourselves anymore. 

But, your hobbies aren’t just online fodder, they’re meant to be just for you. 

Your friend, 

Jenna