They say the average smoker will attempt to quit 10 times or so before they finally kick the habit. There’s nicotine patches, gum, electronic cigarettes and tons of other tools out there to help, yet it’s so hard to stick with a plan. Obviously addiction to smoking isn’t just a physical problem, but emotional as well. Extra reminders and positive encouragement go a long way in the uphill battle. What if all you needed to keep you on track could be downloaded to your phone for free? QuitNow! aims to give you what you need to give up want you want.
QuitNow! is an Android app by developer Esteve Aguilera, aka, EAGIN software of Spain. Once you input the day you quit smoking and how many cigarettes you’d usually consumer in a week, it tracks how many days you’ve gone without , how much money you’ve saved, and how much time you’ve saved in your day-to-day life. Follow the timeline of your increased health – the longer you go without smoking, QuitNow! will inform you of milestones like regaining your sense of smell (2 days, apparently), eliminating your physical dependency on nicotine and when you’ve decreased your risk for smoking-related illnesses. Unlock achievements based on how many days you’ve gone without smoking, the money you’ve saved, and how much you’ve improved your general life expectancy. You can share achievements with friends and family via Twitter, email, Facebook or your blog.
One of the better features if probably the “Help” section. It contains anti-smoking facts to make you think. For example: “Did you know?- Nicotine reduces the levels of vitamin C, which causes wounds to take longer to heal.” There are also suggestions and motivators submitted by other users for a feeling of support. More questionable amongst the features is an image gallery with anti-smoking ads. Users may or may not actually find this helpful. We’re bombarded by these on a pretty regular basis and it’s unclear whether or not the sometimes-shocking imagery is all that effective as a long-term deterrent.
QuitNow! is a simple and well-intentioned app that could definitely give people some much needed help. Unfortunately the level of engagement isn’t high enough to be truly effective. There are no notices that pop up to announce milestones you’ve hit or awards you’ve unlocked. You should have to check-in each day you get through without smoking, rather than the program just assuming you’re doing fine everyday. Notices of your progress would help to remind you to do so. And wouldn’t it be great if you could receive motivators at the times you’d usually smoke to prevent you from lighting up? If your first cigarette of the day is first thing in the morning, maybe the app can sync with your alarm to say “Be strong today! You can do it!” Using QuitNow! can be reworked to make using it a positive habit to replace the negative one.
Gamification Co will be hosting it’s second Gamification Summitin New York on September 15-16. Join keynotes from Gilt Groupe CEO Alexandra Wilkis Wilson and 42 Entertainment’s founder, Susan Bonds, to learn how the new science of engagement is rewriting the rules of product design. We are also offering the first ever Certificate in Gamification. For Gamification Blog readers, use discount code GCOBLOG for 25% off at http://gsummit.com/register. We look forward to seeing you there!
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