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    Artwork for The Gray Area with Sean Illing
    Episode

    The problem with gamifying life

    The Gray Area with Sean Illing · Feb 9, 2026 · 49 min

    Games are fun. Aren’t they? When we play games — board games, video games, any kind of game — something magical happens. Games allow us to explore, to create little worlds where we can be different versions of ourselves. But when we turn life into a game — where we have to get the best grade, or the most money, or the most “likes” — then games stop being fun. Why is that? This week Sean speaks…

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