Chapter     5

Social Patterns

Social patterns are those that offer us the chance to interact with others, satisfying Social Contact needs. Many social patterns fuel the virality of apps, giving those that implement them well the potential to become hits joining the likes of Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. This has made social patterns very popular, but like gameful patterns, they need to be applied wisely.

We dip in and out of contact, leaving broadcasts to others via text message and Facebook, returning to consume social feedback when our ego requires it. All of the patterns here are primarily used in asynchronous communication, freeing us from immediate obligation to others; obligations we keep so that we feel honorable, but don’t bring ...

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