‘Beating the App’ or Pyrrhic Victories? Gamification, Workaholism and FoMo in UK Food‐Delivery Platforms
Fuente:
Wiley Open Access
Gespeichert in:
| Hauptverfasser: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Artículo Open Access |
| Veröffentlicht: |
Wiley
2025
|
| Schlagworte: | |
| Online-Zugang: | |
| Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
| _version_ | 1867015121108205569 |
|---|---|
| author | Cristian Santabarbara Tony Royle Wei Wei |
| author_facet | Cristian Santabarbara Tony Royle Wei Wei Cristian Santabarbara Tony Royle Wei Wei |
| collection | Wiley Open Access |
| contents | ‘Beating the App’ or Pyrrhic Victories? Gamification, Workaholism and FoMo in UK Food‐Delivery Platforms Cristian Santabarbara Tony Royle Wei Wei New Technology, Work and Employment ABSTRACT This article examines the relationship between the gamification of platform food‐delivery work and workaholism. Drawing on a qualitative study, our findings suggest that while financial needs act as a ‘ push ’ factor, encouraging workers to enter off‐line platform work, gamification serves as a ‘ pull ’ factor ‐ driving an introjected motivation that draws couriers into the compulsive behaviours associated with workaholism. The more exposure that couriers have with these gamified apps, the more likely they are to think that they can ‘beat the app’. However, the algorithm is always one step ahead, resulting in illusory wins or pyrrhic victories for couriers. While gamified apps limit couriers' choice architecture and the possibilities for counter‐gamification, they also reduce couriers' rational self‐reflection, driving couriers to work excessively and compulsively, with couriers exhibiting Clark et al.'s (2020) four dimensions of workaholism: motivational , behavioural , cognitive , and, in particular, the emotional dimension ‐ the fear of missing out (FoMO). 10.1111/ntwe.70013 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| doi_str_mv | 10.1111/ntwe.70013 |
| format | Artículo Open Access |
| id | wiley_oa_10_1111_ntwe_70013 |
| institution | Wiley Open Access |
| license_str_mv | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | wiley_oa |
| spellingShingle | ‘Beating the App’ or Pyrrhic Victories? Gamification, Workaholism and FoMo in UK Food‐Delivery Platforms Cristian Santabarbara Tony Royle Wei Wei New Technology, Work and Employment ‘Beating the App’ or Pyrrhic Victories? Gamification, Workaholism and FoMo in UK Food‐Delivery Platforms Cristian Santabarbara Tony Royle Wei Wei New Technology, Work and Employment ABSTRACT This article examines the relationship between the gamification of platform food‐delivery work and workaholism. Drawing on a qualitative study, our findings suggest that while financial needs act as a ‘ push ’ factor, encouraging workers to enter off‐line platform work, gamification serves as a ‘ pull ’ factor ‐ driving an introjected motivation that draws couriers into the compulsive behaviours associated with workaholism. The more exposure that couriers have with these gamified apps, the more likely they are to think that they can ‘beat the app’. However, the algorithm is always one step ahead, resulting in illusory wins or pyrrhic victories for couriers. While gamified apps limit couriers' choice architecture and the possibilities for counter‐gamification, they also reduce couriers' rational self‐reflection, driving couriers to work excessively and compulsively, with couriers exhibiting Clark et al.'s (2020) four dimensions of workaholism: motivational , behavioural , cognitive , and, in particular, the emotional dimension ‐ the fear of missing out (FoMO). 10.1111/ntwe.70013 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| title | ‘Beating the App’ or Pyrrhic Victories? Gamification, Workaholism and FoMo in UK Food‐Delivery Platforms |
| topic | New Technology, Work and Employment |
| url | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ntwe.70013 |