What the World's most popular mobile game tells us about the Future of Learning/Work: Among Us.

'Hide and seek' returned to the digital age in the wildly popular mobile game, Among Us. The game developer InnerSloth released the game in 2018, but the real momentum was realized amidst the pandemic in 2020. The game has recorded more than 85 million downloads in August and September month on smartphones alone. A game that has a relatively simple premise has since become a major source of internet related memes, fan art and countless forms of online fan frenzy.

The dizzying number of people playing the game means that in all likelihood if you aren't playing the game, you definitely have a family member, friend, or work colleague that is engaged in this digital whodunit. (Shout out to my kids Rania and Nabeel for introducing me to this game!)

At a time when we are all suffering from device overload and Zoom fatigue, what can we actually learn about learning/work from the success of Among Us?

2 Quick Take-aways about the Future of Learning/Work: Among Us.

• Human connection still matters in the age of social.
• Learning must be social.

Human Connection still matters in the age of social technologies.

The viral success of Among Us doesn't lie in the technology --- it exists in the psychology. The objective of Among Us' 'Hide and Seek' isn’t about finding the imposter, it’s about being the best at avoiding detection. The game proceeds until there is only one single crew member remaining and then the game stops and says the imposter wins. It doesn't actually matter what the game says, because the real winner is the last surviving crew member. If that doesn't make sense -- take a few minutes and download and play the game.

What about this form of play can we incorporate into our collaborative spaces in a work environment? One simple technique could involve leveraging collaborative game technologies during your next team Zoom meeting. One of the most popular technologies from the world of K-12 is called Kahoot. You can create a Kahoot online contest that could help your team review your KPIs, Strategic Plan, upcoming events, Sales numbers or any other business relevant goal . https://kahoot.com/. While it is unlikely that you will be able to replicate the thrilling game play of Among Us via a Kahoot, it is clear that creating times during the virtual work flow for teams to have a more authentic/playful form of interaction could help break the monotony of Zoom and the daunting stream of webinars and virtual presentations that stifle creativity and growth.

Our team in Florida International University's Office of Engagement https://engagement.fiu.edu/ took the concept of authentic human connection in the direction of creating a Book club that we opened up to our community partners. We have opted to keep the topics of the book club relevant to our mission driven work of building transformational partnerships with the community in support of our faculty and staff. As such, it made good sense that our first book was a deep dive into the challenges facing Miami during the 1980s. The participation in our virtual book club meeting created a welcoming space for our team members to have a deeper dive conversation with a topic of common and relevant concern and it also allowed us to spend some meaningful time in connection with partners in the community that share our passion for partnerships.

Learning must be social.

The success of the game Among Us owes in great part to the idea that learning is a social endeavor. Humans have always imparted knowledge in a social manner and the current socially distanced pandemic environment should not stop us from incorporating the basic principles of social learning. Among Us is being played by close to 100 million people and many of those people are customizing the rules to help finesse the game to their specific playgroup. In this way, Among Us players have created an entirely new game mode for players to enjoy.

In the same spirit of social learning, our team at FIU's Office of Engagement has created a continuing learning experience that we call our Engagement Academy. Twice a week a different member of our team prepares a detailed presentation on a different neighborhood in South Florida or issue topic of concern for our work in building high-value strategic partnerships for our university. Through these presentations, we are able to continue our work of understanding the most pressing needs and opportunities of our community - but we are doing so in an inherently social learning paradigm - very much akin to the gameplay of Among Us. We have been able to traverse neighborhoods from Hialeah to Overtown and explore challenges on climate change and income inequality, all while using technology and a common learning framework to grow together in our understanding of issues afoot in our South Florida and ultimately build partnerships that support our mission.

Conclusion:

The meteoric success of Among Us is another example of a long line of digital games and platforms (Fortnite, Minecraft & Animal Crossing) that are reshaping the way humans can connect and create meaning together. While a video game might not actually have the answers for how humans can create greater value in the Future of Work/Learning, the psychology behind these platforms can provide us some clues on how we can build closer and intentional bonds behind the algorithms. AmongUs shows that authenticity and social learning must be at the center of the code of human connection in the age of exponential technologies....anything less would make us all imposters.

“We’re collectively living through 1500, when it’s easier to see what’s broken than what will replace it.”

― Clay Shirky