Humor for Public Policy!!

I like having fun.

I like having sense of humor whenever and wherever I am.

But sometimes, bringing sense of humor into work places or academia is considered to be immoral and sinful.

Or it's just not welcomed because people think that I'm not serious.

Quite the contrary!!!

I firmly believe that sense of humor brings about new insights and ideas into problem solving.

How?

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Let's take Pokemon Go as an example.

It seems like Pokemon Go is becoming a big social phenomenon around the world.

ex: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/technology/pokemon-go-brings-augmented-reality-to-a-mass-audience.html?_r=0

Can't we harness this product and underlying ideas for, for example, poverty reduction?

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One of the strategies to combat poverty is called Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT).

(CCT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditional_cash_transfer)

In this program, people are getting paid under the condition that they send their children to schools or they appropriately vaccinate their children.

It is important that the poor send their children to schools or vaccinate their children so that they can get out of poverty.

As you can clearly see, the program is created under the assumption that money brings about behavioral change among the poor.

In other words, government is trying to "incentivize" people with money to change their behavior.

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But what if they use Pokemon Go to encourage children to go to schools or vaccination?

For example, what if children can obtain rare Pokemons if they go to school?

What if children can obtain rare items if they get vaccinated?

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Another example.

In Japan, low voting turnout is always criticized. Especially the turnout is low among the young.

This, in combination with aging society, makes Japan a "silver democracy."

(Silver Democracy: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/japan/2013-07-18/japans-silver-democracy)

How can we encourage young people to vote?

Pokemon Go!!!

What if they can obtain rare Pokemons in voting stations?

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Behavioral change is essential in order to bring about better change in the society.

Surely, one of the ways to induce behavioral change is monetary incentive, as CCT program supposes.

However, don't people react more sensitively to FUN?

No matter where you go, you can see children playing some kind of sports (such as soccer, basketball, baseball etc) even if they are not paid.

This is surely observed in poor communities in developing countries too.

Why? Why do they do that even if they are not payed?

Because they are having FUN.

Monetary incentive is not the only way to bring about behavioral change.

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I believe that people become more passionate, encouraged and dedicated when they are having FUN.

That's how the society and the world changes, I think.

Let's have FUN.

Or let's be brave enough to say "having fun is important" out loud.

☆ Taking advantage of Pokemon Go to encourage people to go to schools or vote could bring about negative outcome too. For example, this allows Nintendo to exert huge power on politics. This may cause bribery or inappropriate connection between Nintendo and politics. Careful implementation is absolutely necessary.

☆ Importance of having FUN in the area of public policy is detailed in this book:

Think Like a Freak