The power and flaws of gamification By the hand of Katy Milkman. When you walk 10,000 steps a day, your Fitbit rewards you with a jiggle and some virtual fireworks, giving you a reason to pause proudly and smile. When you practice a foreign language in Duolingo for several days in a row, you gain a “streak” and are encouraged to keep going, giving you extra reason to make the effort to repeat. When companies, teachers, coaches, or apps add features like symbolic rewards, competition, social connections, or fun sounds and colors to make something more playful, they rely on “gamification” to improve the likely otherwise sad experience. I would bet that most apps on your phone use some element of gamification, but we also see gamification in our workplaces and on the part of our health insurers.