Piggybacking is one of the seven “fifty bits” design strategies. It works by making the desired behavior a side effect of another behavior that’s inherently fun or attractive.
YumIt is using piggybacking to try to get kids to eat better foods and to pay attention while doing so. Real calories are converted to “virtual energy” that can be used to play video games. Cute.
No word about whether the device – which includes a special placemat (scale), plate and utensils – has been subjected to a randomized controlled trial to check its effectiveness and duration. It’s also unclear how much the set up will cost, nor when it will become available.
