Recent research had shown the power of social connectedness in improving health outcomes, and mobile health apps were suddenly catching on among consumers. “So it made sense to take the technology that people were already using and comfortable with and migrate that to a health platform that included social media and social gaming,” Williams explained.
One of Blue Shield’s new programs, The Daily Challenge from MeYou Health, is similar to Shape Up Shield, in that it uses social media, including Facebook, to make wellness fun. But instead of confining itself to physical exercise, it gives participants a series of individually tailored Daily Challenges, Williams noted. The Daily Challenge is “a simple activity that improves your wellbeing.” That might be physical, emotional, or mental, he said. (The MeYou website says, “the Daily Challenge promotes everyday wellbeing by encouraging the small actions and fostering the social ties that drive meaningful change.”) MeYou’s program features the hallmarks of social gaming, such as points, badges, status, and progression.
“Doing wellness is hard work,” noted Williams. “It’s hard to eat less, exercise more, and give up addictive habits like smoking. But there’s no reason it can’t be social and fun, too. And once it becomes relevant to people’s everyday experience and becomes less of a chore, and less about willpower and abstinence, that’s when engagement rates start to rise.”